Hotarubi
by Karasunaki
Summary: As a child, her father told her that she was like a firefly, glowing fervently to help guide the lost back home. But she never once thought that she would ever be lost in the dark herself. Kakashi/OC, Gaara/OC, Itachi/OC
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"Hello, dear viewers! You are watching the intense and daring footage of a young hero brave enough to stick up for the little guy! Introducing... Haruka-chan!"

"This is stupid."

"Sh! Hm... I think the camera's broken. Everything's black!"

"Raya?"

"Yes?"

"This should help." A click sounded and the cap fell away from the lens, revealing the irritated face of what looked to be a ten year old girl. Her features were soft, each angle blending evenly with each plane. Her eyes were a deep brown, capped with straight brows that gave her gentle face a harsh look. The Suna sun had stained her skin to a light bronze, leaving a light spattering of freckles over her straight nose. She had a half-smile tugging at her lips, her amusement with Raya's blonde moment seeping past her tough facade. Her hair was thick and long, with loose tresses that faded into soft, tousled waves. It was a burnished brown, almost like chocolate, gleaming with coppers and reds in the sunlight. She waved the camera away impatiently, still smiling through her half-hearted scowl.

Raya zoomed out, panning over the bright blue sky. Thick clouds dotted the skyline, round puffs of delicious marshmallows brushing against the vast rocky mountains that looked like jagged mounds of dark chocolate. Raya heaved a dreamy sigh and moved the lens down towards the petite Haruka, who stood sullenly, pushing a long sweep of bangs from her eyes. Often teased for her height, Haruka was short for her age with a sharp, lean body.

"Wouldn't it be awesome if it rained today?" Raya asked suddenly.

Haruka scoffed, a snicker bubbling past her lips. "Are you delusional? We're in _Suna_, Raya-chan. It rains about once every million years." Raya heaved another sigh, this time a wistful one. She turned the camera towards her face, faking a smile.

"See how wonderful our thirteen-year old hero is? So kind... So sweet... So happy..." Raya's drawl dripped with sarcasm, causing Ha-san to roll her eyes. Raya gave a giggle, covering her mouth with a long-fingered hand. Her face was the odd pale shade that wasn't commonly found in Sunagakure, like creamy porcelain that shone out brilliantly in the golden sunlight. Her startling eyes of emerald green were partially hidden by soft bangs of the deepest violet. With shoulder-length hair that was fairly straight, Raya was a striking girl with many quirky habits. Shaking her head gently, she tucked a vibrant strand behind her ear. She stood at an average height for her young age of ten, but she was still taller than the wiry Haruka.

Raya let out another laugh, tucking another lock behind her ear as she turned the camera back on Haruka. "Why don't you explain the situation to our viewers?"

Haruka pursed her lips, furrowing her brows. Anxiety coursed through her. "Do we have to document this?" she asked suddenly. Swallowing hard, she looked down at her feet. "I mean.. what if Kurou kicks my ass? I'll be the laughingstock. And in serious pain."

Raya wrinkled her nose in response to Haruka's swear, then shook her head. "Don't worry Ha-san. Kurou isn't taking you seriously. When you kick his butt, he'll see. He'll wish I had never challenged him. Er.. or me challenging him for you." Her eyes narrowed in confusion, but she shook it off with a grin, wheeling the camera towards her face. "For those of you who don't know, Takenaka Kurou is a mean and awful bully who became a _genin_ last year. He used to tease Ha-san horribly because she's so tiny, but he's moved on to make fun of other shinobi-in-training. He's a stinky face." She stuck her tongue out at the camera. Haruka could've sworn three years fell off her friend's immature face.

"But he won't be teasing anyone else for a long while," murmured Haruka absently. She was staring ahead, down the path, a determined expression settling over her face. Raya followed her gaze with the camera, giving a start. A tall figure strode confidently down the path, a posse of other _genins_ following along with smirks and sniggers. Raya stared at them, feeling her heart plummet downwards.

"Oh crap, he's here already? Ha-san, you haven't warmed up! What if he hurts you? This is all my fault! I shouldn't have challenged him for you!" Raya fretted. The camera shook in her trembling hands. "He's a_genin_, and oh my god, we haven't even _graduated_ from the Academy! Crap, crap -- oh my gosh, don't let him kill you! I can't lose my best friend!"

Haruka looked at her, face bemused at Raya's sudden lack of confidence. Hadn't she just been gushing about how she would teach Kurou a lesson?

"Calm down, Raya. I.. I can do this," she reassured her quietly. "I think." She swallowed, finding her throat to be dry, her lips suddenly parched. Still watching the imposing youth who sauntered towards her, her heart began to race with panic. She kept her face composed though. He wouldn't see her fear. He'd never see it, not if she had anything to say about it.

She glanced at Raya quickly, searching for something to relieve her inner angst. Nearly laughing out loud, she felt a surge of amusement rise within her. Raya's face was almost comical, her eyes wide and fearful, her mouth gaping.

Raya bit her lip and aimed the camera at the older boy coming down the path, moving away with a whispered, "good luck". He looked about fourteen, with deep-set eyes and heavy jaw. His long, atramentous hair was tied back, every strand placed with the taste of perfection. He smirked at Haruka, a haughty look set over his angular face.

"Ready to have your ass kicked, Haruka-_chan_?" His voice was rough and hoarse, lost between the throes of childhood and adulthood. The ominous tone in it sent a shudder down Ha-san's spine. Resisting the urge to bite her lip, she gazed at him with a steely eye.

She held a hand up to ear, as if trying to hear. "What was that? You want to know if I'm ready to kick your ass?" Haruka gave a ringing laugh that served to hide her fear. She settled into a fighting stance. "I'm as ready as ever."

A small crowd to settle around the pair, as if the fight was an entertaining show. Haruka let her gaze travel along the vast ring that formed around them. Many faces leapt out to her, faces of the kids Kurou had ridiculed mercilessly, taunted endlessly. They returned her determined expression, silently expressing their confidence in her. A strange feeling coursed through and she realized with a start that she was a savior to these kids.

Kurou grinned darkly. "Aww. Ickle Haruka-chan, dying to play with the big kids." He assumed a stance similar to Haruka's, "Here's your chance, midget." His group of boys sniggered in amusement.

Haruka's heart began to race as the gravity of the challenge suddenly settled over her. She was going up against a _genin_. She, a mere shinobi-in-training. She gulped, dark eyes suddenly wide. Her gaze leapt from face to face as she was caught in a panic, until she noticed an odd trio near the far wall to her left. They were clad in green vests and gleaming _hitaites_, slinging dusty packs over their shoulders. Her mouth formed a little 'o' of surprise as she recognized the spiraling leaf symbol of Konoha.

_They're jounin! Full-fledged jounin! Actual shinobi! From another village!_ Her mind raced with thoughts as wonder shot through her, temporarily eradicating her fear. They looked on with curious and amused expressions. Well, except one. From what Haruka could see, he was highly bored. He was masked, with his _hitaite_ pulled down to shield his left eye. The single eye that was visible held a look of utter disinterest. That wasn't the weirdest thing about his appearance, though. It was his hair that had attracted her attention. Long and silver, it seemed to defy gravity by sticking out at the side. He was young, from what Haruka could tell, probably in his twenties. What was he doing with gray hair then? Haruka watched curiously as he pulled a book from his pouch, leaning against the wall to read. Nothing perturbed him, not the ominous rumbling in the distance, or the chattering of the kids all around, or even the amused sniggers from his two companions. She narrowed her eyes, put off by his nonchalance.

"Ready when you are, shrimp!" called out an impatient Kurou. Haruka jumped, startled, and gave a nod. The chattering voices dropped to a hush as a young girl of average height strode to the center of the ring. Her pale face was gleeful. Spiteful. Haruka recognized her as a loner from the Ninja Academy called Hanajima. Her eyes were the clearest of blues, cold as ice and sharp as steel. Long, sleek locks the color of burnished gold hung down to her elbows. She always wore black, and today was no exception for her.

"No weapons, no outside help. Skill against skill. The match will go on until one of you is knocked unconscious or yields. Or dies." Her lips drew back into a sneer, her sharp white teeth gleaming in the meek sunlight. She glanced at Kurou, then fixed her unnerving stare upon Haruka. A shiver ran down her spine and she quickly looked away as Kurou threw his kunai holster and hip pouch to one of the boys in his posse. Hanajima smiled eerily and stepped back, throwing her hands down.

"Begin!"

The sun seemed to dim as Haruka stared at Kurou. She stood very still, watching his eyes, waiting for him to move. The sky darkened as heavy clouds passed by, then lightened again. Kurou's eyes were filled with mirth, mocking her silently. He was laughing at her. She could see it on his face. He didn't think she could do it. She narrowed her eyes.

_I'll show you._

In a flash of movement, he was upon her, throwing a punch to her face. Gasping in surprise, she blocked it sluggishly, just in time. His laughter rang out, chilling her to the bone. He was on her again, throwing punch after punch, kick after kick. She ducked and dodged, rolling out of harm's way time after time. He continued to laugh while she gritted her teeth painfully.

"What're you waiting for, shrimp?" He sneered as he threw another punch at her. About to retort back, Haruka blinked when he disappeared._Where'd he go?_

A heavy force collided with her back and she found herself face-first in the dry dirt, a sharp pain burning against her spine. Panting hard, she began to get up when something wet hit her nose. Her eyes widened and she watched as another raindrop hit the parched earth. She didn't have time to marvel at the utter beauty of it, for something strong pulled her up by her collar. Kurou twisted her arm behind her, holding her in a lock. She was close enough to smell a putrid odor dirt and sweat mingling with the natural oils on his body.

He leaned forward, his hot breath rancid to her nose. "Do you yield?"

Haruka opened her mouth, ready to give him the verbal beating of his life, when another raindrop hit her face. Drop after drop fell swiftly and voices began to squeal in surprise at the oncoming rain. Kurou made the mistake of looking up at the dark sky with shock.

Seizing the opportunity at hand, Haruka stomped on his large foot with heavy force and elbowed him hard in the gut. His pained gasp was lost in the rising wind and quickening rainfall. Cheering began to sound, meek at first but rising in volume as Haruka whipped around. She cast Kurou a dark smirk and kicked him firmly against his sternum. He stumbled backwards, slipping in the slick mud that now coated the ground. He caught himself before he could fall though and readied himself once more. Grinning a feral grin, he bared his teeth at her. With a loud cry, he charged at her, throwing a punch to the side of her face.

Haruka merely laughed when she caught his hand before it could hit her. In one rapid movement, she twisted it painfully, holding it so that his every breath caused him unbearable agony. He sank to his knees, moaning audibly. She could hear the joyous cheers from the kids around. She could even hear the three shinobi --_ two shinobi_ -- laughing loudly. She smiled victoriously, a warm glow of intense pride washing over her.

Smile widening, she leaned forward, her face inches from his. Her bangs fell down in sheets around her head, drenched from the heavy rain. "Do you yield, Kurou-_san_?"

He scowled at her and spat in her face. Haruka sighed, wiping her cheek with an irked expression. "I'll repeat that question," she said simply, glaring at him. "Do you want to keep your arm?" She twisted his arm further, waiting patiently for an answer.

Cries of pain escaped him, but no words came forth. Haruka furrowed her brows, growing irritated.

"You _baka_, do you _want_ me to break your frickin' arm?" she hissed, bending lower to face him. She was surprised to see the smug expression in his eyes. In that instant, she recognized something horrible in his eyes that frightened her terribly. She had never seen such raw hatred before; it exuded from his person in heavy waves that stunned her senseless.

Her guard let down, Kurou swept his foot out to kick her leg, bearing with the excruciating pain that shot through his arm. Haruka gasped, falling back into the mud. Kurou stood, rubbing his arm irritably. She gazed up at his dark face, eyes wide, heart pounding furiously.

"You stupid pig," he spat. His lips were twisted into horrible scowl and his eyes were narrowed into tiny slits. Haruka gulped, slipping when she tried to get away from him.

He laughed a laugh that scared her and she turned away, finally able to leap to her feet. Sticky mud clung to her body, making every step feel far too heavy. Gasping for breath, she turned to face him, holding her fists up in a fighting stance. Kurou laughed again.

"Stop laughing!" She shouted, feeling irritable and grumpy. The fear was still there, but she had gotten a good enough grip on her emotions to push it away. For now.

He didn't stop laughing. Haruka gritted her teeth, trying her hardest to keep her temper in check. But his stupid laugh was still there, ringing in her ears. It echoed perpetually, never-ending, mocking her, mocking Raya, mocking the others. The blood boiled in her veins, and she began to feel very warm. She closed her eyes, trying to block out that laugh, but it remained there. It tore away at her, eating at her, pushing her over the edge...

"SHUT UP!"

She charged at him, letting her fist collide against his nose with a sickening crunch. A self-satisfied smile danced at her lips.

_Take that, bastard._

Blood gushed from his nostrils, mingling with the powerful onslaught of rain. His eye was beginning to swell, but the other eye.. It glared at her with unadulterated loathing. His hands reached behind him, into his pocket...

The next moment happened so fast that Haruka was hardly able to comprehend it, but somehow, she was able to recognize the sharp senbon needles in his fist. She whipped around to get out of harm's way, but they sliced at her. She felt one lodge itself in her neck, another scrape her cheek as she turned away. His work was shoddy, amateur at best, and he hadn't hit any vital organs luckily. But she tripped in her haste to get away, landing face first in the mud. The needles stung as they dug deeper in her body.

Some of the kids cried out. She heard Hanajima's voice yelling and Raya's screaming her name perpetually. She moved to get up, pulling the needles out with a hiss. Her cheek stung where the needle had scraped her. She looked up, surprised to see Raya and her video camera right before her.

"Ha-san, are you okay?" Raya knelt before her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Her face was wrought with concern. Haruka ignored her, looking past to glare at Kurou, who stared off with a haughty expression.

"You used senbon needles," she accused with a snarl. Kurou glanced at her imperiously, sticking his bloodied nose higher up in the air.

"Your point?" he drawled in a voice free of even the slightest concern.

Something snapped inside Haruka. With a frightful yell, she jumped at him punching and kicking furiously. Raya shouted at her, struggling to pull her off the boy, struggling to calm her down. But Haruka was lost over the edge. She was drunk with fury, shouting nonsense and punching the crap out of a yelling Kurou.

Two pairs of arms finally succeeded in pulling her off him. She looked furiously around to find Hanajima and Raya both restraining her.

"You crazy cow!" screamed Kurou, his pubescent voice cracking slightly.

"Let go of me!" Haruka ignored him and flailed her arms and legs, trying her hardest to get free. "That stupid bastard _cheated!_ Let me at him!"

"Not until you calm down, _baka_," murmured Hanajima. Haruka looked at her with bulging eyes, unable to comprehend why she was standing next to her. Moments passed in silence (save for the infuriated snarls from Kurou) and finally Haruka slumped, tired and defeated.

"Let's go," she whispered hoarsely. Raya nodded, slowly releasing her. She retrieved her camera from a random kid who stared at Haruka with wide, revering eyes. Hanajima and Raya led her away in an awkward silence. The ring of children had broken, most having run off to get out of the rain. Haruka was vaguely aware that the rain had ceased to fall. This revelation left her feeling slightly depressed. She hadn't had a chance to appreciate the rare rainfall that she loved. A few kids ran up to her, startling her from her reverie. They congratulated her, clapping her on the shoulder with ecstatic grins. She smiled meekly, too weary to respond.

Her gaze wandered back to the wall, but the three shinobi were gone. She heard laughter up ahead and her gaze traveled to the source. The shinobi were not far off, seated at the ramen shop. The other two were still chuckling, about the fight most likely. Haruka repressed a sigh, feeling utterly down at her sluggish taijutsu. They were probably laughing at her. Feeling extremely self-conscious, she turned a curious eye towards the masked shinobi. A bowl of steaming hot ramen was set in front of him. He tilted his head to the side, as if speaking. _Probably saying thank you_, she thought blandly. _How does he eat with his mask on?_ Haruka watched him with a dull eye. Blinking, she heaved a huge yawn. When she opened her eyes, the bowl in front of him was empty. Her jaw dropped. _What the hell? That was so fast!_ She was about to point out the skilled shinobi to Raya when an irksome voice disrupted her thoughts.

"Shrimp, where are you going? This isn't over!" Kurou's hoarse yells were a nuisance to her. She sighed aloud, continuing to walk with Raya and the eerie Hanajima.

Hanajima whirled around, a morbid grin on her face. "Kurou-kun," she began sweetly. "The fight ended when you used senbon needles on Haruka-chan. That makes Haruka-chan the winner. Sucks to lose, eh?"

Haruka fought the urge to laugh out loud because she was sure her ribs would ache from the effort. Maybe this Hanajima wasn't so bad after all.

She didn't bother hiding her grin when Kurou's furious spluttering met her ears. Raya began to laugh when Hanajima caught up with them.

"Thanks for setting him straight," Haruka murmured, still grinning. Hanajima just smiled, tilting her head in a way that said _'Yeah, I know, I'm awesome.'_ Kurou continued to yell at her, fighting to get her attention. Sighing aloud, she gestured for Raya and Hanajima to continue on ahead. "I'll catch up," she assured them, before whirling around to face Kurou angrily.

"Shut up, Kurou! You lost! Deal with it, 'kay? Thanks a ton, dear, means a lot to me," she called out, rolling her eyes. Kurou glared at her as she turned away. "Quit pouting too. You'll get wrinkles."

She began to stride away but there was a sudden shout behind her. She turned around, exasperated, until she saw the kunai flying towards her head. She hadn't the time to so much as scream, let alone attempting to get out of the way, and so she did the first thing she could think of. She closed her eyes, hoping to God it wouldn't hurt when it hit.

There was no impact. No blood, no screams, no unbearable pain. And no death, luckily.

Heart pounding, Haruka opened her eyes and yelped. The kunai was less than an inch from the bridge of her nose, held aloft and steady by a large, gloved hand. She half-saw her reflection on the metal plates on the back of that hand. She found she couldn't breathe and she began to gasp for air as the shock of what nearly happened overcame. Looking up, she saw the masked shinobi standing before her.

"Holy _shit!_" she cried, taking a step back. The masked shinobi looked at her with surprise and she smiled at him sheepishly, slapping a hand over her hammering heart.. He shook his head, pulling the kunai away and spinning it lazily on his index finger. Haruka watched, transfixed.

"I'm guessing you'd like to have your kunai back?" he asked, his voice only slightly muffled by the dark fabric of his mouth. His eye was sharp and keen, staring down Kurou with an intensity that even made _her_ feel inferior and weak. Haruka turned her gaze on the boy who nearly killed her, fury blossoming inside.

Kurou nodded his head meekly, staring at the shinobi with an open mouth.

The shinobi nodded too. "Okay then," he said. There was a dark glint in his eye. "Catch."

The kunai flew swiftly through the air. With horror, Haruka realized it was aimed for his head. Opening her mouth, she sprinted forward, hoping to reach Kurou in time, but it was too late. The masked shinobi didn't try to stop her, seeming only amused at her attempt to save the opponent that had just tried to impale her head with a kunai.

"No!" she cried, eyes bulging.

The kunai sailed by Kurou's head, narrowly missing his ear. Kurou yelped, hastily stumbling away. Haruka instantly felt foolish. Cheeks burning with humiliation, she whirled around to face the shinobi. She narrowed her eyes -- was he _smiling_ at her? She couldn't tell. There was only one eye visible, after all.

"Why'd you do that for? You nearly scared me half to death," she snapped, her voice filled with extreme irritation. The masked man merely chuckled, his lazy eye watching her.

"Most people would say thanks to their rescuer instead of complaining about harmless tricks," he said, a dry tone underlying his falsely kind voice.

Haruka glared at him, feeling defensive suddenly. "Well, you should look for your thanks somewhere else." She turned away haughtily, stalking down the street. She heard footsteps behind her and she felt her anger and humiliation deepen. The footsteps stopped as she passed a small building with a tiny balcony at the top.

"That's not very nice."

His voice came from above. Looking up, Haruka found herself more irked than ever to see that masked face again. He was crouched on the railing of the balcony, perched precariously on an edge that most would've fallen off of.

"What the hell do you want?" she snapped. She was starting to feel the aftereffects of the rain, shivering from the cold that now engulfed her.

The shinobi shook his head slowly. "Tsk, tsk. Such a foul mouth for such a little girl."

That instantly grated her nerves. "I'm hardly a little girl," she hissed, striding away furiously. There was thump behind her and the footsteps resumed.

"What are you? Eight? That makes you a little girl." He snickered behind her. Haruka huffed, growing dizzy from her fury. She was always told she had a temper, and though she struggled to keep it in check, she failed hopelessly now.

"Eight years old.. and you took on a genin? How brave of you. Would you like a lollipop, little girl?" he teased. His words echoed in her head, making her blood boil dangerously.

She whirled around, coming forward to face the shinobi. He was tall; she hardly came up to his chest. Nostrils flared, she yelled at the top of her lungs, "I'm THIRTEEN YEARS OLD!"

The shinobi stared at her in surprise. His brow was raised, but his eye remained amused. "Thirteen? But you're so short."

Many people refrained to use the word 'short' around Haruka, knowing how sensitive she was about her height. She had always been little, and no matter how much milk she drank or how many vitamins she consumed, she grew at a snail-like rate. She prayed and hoped everyday that she would one day reach a model-esque height, but those dreams had been shattered when she realized that, at thirteen years old, she was the measly height of four feet and ten inches. This night, Haruka was irritable. She was grumpy. She was in pain and she was chilled to the bone by her sopping wet hair and soaked clothes. Mud caked her aching, weary body. And this man, this _foreigner_, who not only criticized her age, but her _height_ too, was now staring at her with a cocky eye. That was unforgivable in Haruka's eyes.

She wanted so badly to insult this man with all her heart. She wanted to give him the verbal beating of his life. But as she stared at him, opening and closing her mouth, nothing came to mind.

"I hate you," she spat, finally. She turned around and headed down the street, relieved to find there were no footsteps behind her.

"You could be dead right now, instead of cold and living."

She nearly screamed with fright. With a hand slapped over her heart, she moved away from him, finding that she didn't just hate this man. She loathed him. Despised him. If someone had told her that the masked man had just died a torturous and painful death, like being stabbed by a thousand swords, then ripped to shreds by carnivorous beasts, and then tossed into a boiling volcano to melt, she would be happy. Blissful, even. Turning to face him, she drew close, her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched.

"I didn't need any rescuing from you," she whispered stubbornly. "I didn't need your help. So don't expect a thanks from me, because you've done everything you can to make this dreadful day even more dreadful for me. Good evening sir, and it was _not_ a pleasure meeting you."

And with that, she sauntered down the street, shivering from the cold.

"Bastard," she muttered, turning the corner. The masked shinobi grinned after her and turned, drawing an infamous orange book from his hip pouch.

"So Junko said..." His voice trailed off and the incident was forgotten as he became engrossed with the book. A distant scream of infuriation met his ears, and he chuckled aloud.

"What a loud voice for such a little girl..."


	2. One: A Tale of Two Villages

**Chapter One  
A Tale of Two Villages**

Haruka sat up with start, rubbing her sore throat with a trembling hand. Her brows were pulled together in confusion at her odd and familiar dream.

"Where the fuck did _that_ come from?"

She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. She hadn't had that dream, or memory, in years -- not since she was fourteen, in fact. _So why now?_ She hadn't thought about that incident in a long while. It was a memory she had locked away, purposely forgotten, for she found it all to be completely humiliating.

Thinking back now, Haruka realized how silly and foolish she had acted that evening. Part of her felt guilty about her lack of respect, her utter stubbornness. She sighed aloud, falling deeply into thought as she wished she could apologize at least for that. To go up to that masked man and say, "I'm sorry I was such a stubborn, moody brat when I was younger! Really, I am grateful you saved my life -- look how far I've come since you stopped that kunai from impaling my skull and I refused to thank you!"

In her odd way of thinking, she was grateful towards him. Not necessarily because he saved her life, but because he provided her with another perspective: some adults had really shitty attitudes. From that, she learned a lesson that helped her separate all the people in her life into two categories. So she was grateful.

But she had to admit, the masked man _had_ been pretty obnoxious.

Letting out a groan of impatience, she swung her legs over the side of her messy bed, massaging at her neck tiredly. Last night had been rough on her, what with her many caseloads and stupid, silly patients. Training to be a medic-nin had been a difficult decision for her to make, but she knew it was worth it in the end. She had always had excellent chakra control and she was often told she was a natural healer -- two factors that had wormed their way into her final decision. It was a lot of grunt work in the beginning, filled with the healing of slimy fish and running around like a servant, but it had all worked out in her favor. Once she had gotten past all that and had completed her apprenticeship, she found life to be quite pleasant, despite the constant work. She worked in the hospital a couple days a week, getting time off when she was required to accompany her team on missions.

At the moment though, she wasn't very happy with her decision.

"I feel like shit," she moaned, pouting childishly as she stretched out her stiff limbs. Her white tank top rose slightly, a bit of golden tummy peeking through. Gaze falling from the ceiling, she glanced towards her reflection in the mirror opposite her. Charcoal and graphite portraits stared back at her, the emotions captured within seeking her out. Her pout deepened.

"I _look_ like shit."

Another sigh and she was up, moving swiftly towards the bathroom, kicking at piles of laundry she knew had been sitting on the floor a long while. She tugged at her black shorts as she walked, pursing her lips and scratching her scalp. Not bothering to shut the door, she turned on the faucet and set about to brushing her teeth. She brushed vigorously, eying her face all the while.

The years had been kind to her, as she wasn't really at that age where people gasped in surprise, squealing, "Oh my gosh, you look so young!" Really, at nineteen, she was the epitome of a young beauty. Well, not a beauty, perhaps. Rinsing out her mouth, she poked at her chin, dismayed at the stubborn way it jutted out. She always felt she was more plain, not as glamorous as the other girls. Like Raya-chan or Temari-san. Naw, she was -- and here she began to cringe at the word -- the _cute_ one. She gritted her teeth. Cute! They only said that because she was so tiny. At about five one, she wasn't really close to the average mark, and this worked for that image of cuteness she sought to eradicate. Or was it her pout? Haruka pouted for a second, inspecting it, and sighed. It was the pout. It had to be.

_I have to stop pouting._

But really, she wasn't all _that_ bad looking. Her baby fat had practically melted away during her rigorous training as a _genin_, leaving her with a defined facial structure that she was proud to admit was rather fetching. The planes of her cheekbones were high and smooth, still blending seamlessly with a face that had angled out nicely. She still had the soft features from her childhood, but they were just more... defined. Her eyes remained the same, dark as a moonless night with a bare hint of a cinnamon brown flecked within. And her lips.. well, she never considered them too plump and luscious but they were.. nice. She wasn't sure. She felt they were uneven, with a smaller upper lip outweighed by a full lower lip.

Haruka sighed. Here she was scrutinizing herself again. She had to admit, she was rather vain. She was just good at hiding it. Biting her lip, she splashed some cold water on her face and dried it off with a towel. The purple bruises that shadowed her eyes weren't all that glamorous, she realized dully. _I should take a holiday or something,_ she thought wistfully.

She shook her head and grabbed a brush, pulling it through her hair. In a matter of minutes, she had it braided messily, tousled bangs falling out to shade her eyes. Wisps of baby hairs curled out to frame her face, just adding to that cute factor she hated so much; she arranged her bangs to hide it. Scowling, she tossed the plait over her shoulder and stalked out the bathroom. She glanced at the clock listlessly, just barely registering the time as she strode towards the kitchen, rubbing her neck wearily.

_Ten o ' clock. Did I have something -- OH SHIT._

Her eyes widened and she darted back to the bedroom, slamming her shoulder against the door frame on her way. Eyes widening, she had the briefest feeling of humiliation before she lost her footing and slipped backwards.

"SHIT!"

She lay crumpled on the hard wood floor, clutching her shoulder in pain. "Craaaap," she moaned, her face distorted from the throbbing agony.

"Gaara-sama is going to _kill_ me."

**

* * *

  
**

Raya sat still, her gaze fixated upon the mahogany floor beneath her. Her eyes never wavered, never strayed from that little crack. She knew that if her gaze traveled any further... She looked up and flushed, the blood rushing to her face.

_He's not looking at me... good_, she thought with relief. She let her gaze fall, feeling very self-conscious as she pulled her arms tighter around her body. A curtain of luminous, violet hair fell to shield her face from... _him._

Gaara looked helplessly at his brother, who merely chuckled in reply. Gaara heaved a tiny sigh, letting his eyes fall towards the doorway. He refrained from tapping his fingers impatiently, content with thinking of ways to torture Haruka-san when she finally showed up. His vibrant scarlet hair was shaggy, tousled by a light breeze that wafted through the window. His milk white face was blank, carefully guarded from the world. Pale green eyes jumped to the purple-haired girl before him and a light frown tugged at his mouth. She had been acting odd as of late, averting her gaze and talking quietly. He wished it would stop, as he found it to be rather unnerving.

Whilst Haruka had merely grown into her womanhood, Raya seemed to have blossomed over night. Tall and lean, she sat with an elegance that many girls would die for. Her eyes were as green as ever, currently avoiding Gaara at all costs. Her porcelain complexion gleamed beautifully beneath stray rays of light that beamed through the window. Gaara wouldn't deny that she was beautiful, with her long, silken hair and bright, infectious smile. It was her meekness around him exclusively that irked him. He just couldn't get it. Did the fact that he was a _jinchuuriki_ intimidate her? He frowned as he lapsed deep into thought.

Hurried footsteps echoed in the staircase beyond the door. Gaara's head snapped up, a light glare entering his eyes as he waited. Raya glanced towards the door, her fingers clutching the armrests of her chair almost painfully. There was a distinct panting, a slight pause, and the door swung open. Haruka strode in, breathing deeply, her brow perspiring lightly. She was clad in fitted leggings that ended at her knees and a short yukata-style top of gold. Her _hitaite_ was tied over a thigh, the silver plate shining in the light. She struggled to hide how out of breath she was and smiled a fake and bright smile, pushing her bangs out of her eyes.

"It's about time," muttered Kankuro. He was clad in his traditional outfit, his face painted as was the norm for him. His brown eyes twinkled with sick amusement. Haruka scowled, knowing he was imagining the torture Gaara had planned for her. _Stupid little perv_, she thought irritably. Turning her gaze back to Gaara, she resumed her false smile.

Gaara stared at her, eye twitching slightly. "Stop smiling like that. It's highly disturbing." Her smile vanished, replaced by her usual bored expression. Gaara sighed, dropping his gaze to the stack of folders and papers on his desk.

"This is your third time being late, Haruka-san," said Gaara quietly. His eyes glanced up at her, penetrating her. Haruka hid a shiver, feeling the familiar feeling of unease drift over her.

"_Gomen nasai_, Kazekage-sama. I worked the late shift at the hospital last night and overslept. I promise it won't happen again," she said apologetically. She raised her gaze to meet his.

Gaara nodded his head quietly. The inner Haruka sighed with relief.

"I summoned you today because I have a mission for you," he began, his immaculate fingers flipping a thin folder open. Haruka felt her heartbeat quicken in excitement._ Finally, a mission! The perfect escape from that stupid hospital._

"This won't be like most missions you've been on. You will actually help to ensure the success of a new program between Konoha and Suna," Gaara's mouth twitched into a self-satisfied smile at this.

Haruka frowned. The mention of Konoha had brought that masked face to her mind. _What the hell? New program?_

Gaara continued on. "In my last meeting with the Hokage, there was talk of how our alliance has been extremely beneficial to both our villages. In an attempt to heighten our alliance and to ease any tensions between Suna and Konoha, Tsunada-sama proposed the idea of joint missions between our villages. Each mission would be taken by a squad of four shinobi. Hanajima will join your team for now, as Tsunade-sama is sending us a four-cell team. Two medic-nins would be good to have on these missions." Gaara nodded his head slowly, looking to Haruka pointedly. "I find the proposal to be quite beneficial, but the Council, find the idea quite pointless and possibly destructive for us." He paused here, glancing at the trio.

His gaze lingered on Haruka in a warning fashion. She pouted, unable to help feeling singled out. She suddenly remembered her vow not to pout and quickly donned a somber expression.

"I'm appointing you three with a mission to be the first team to join up with a team from Konoha. The relationship between you and them must be kept in good shape to set those who disagree with this idea straight." Gaara closed his eyes and waited for the barrage of protests.

Haruka stared at him. "What? _That's_ our mission? To get along with _Konoha_?"

Gaara smiled wryly. "Yes, Hayashi Haruka. That is your mission. And I expect it to be completed successfully." He opened his eyes, smile gone. He stared at Haruka with fathomless eyes. She swallowed hard, looking down at her feet to hide her irritation.

"Any other complaints?" He asked sarcastically. Raya shook her head quickly, eyes falling to the floor again. Kankuro frowned and raised his hand cautiously.

Gaara sighed impatiently. "Yes, Kankuro?"

"When is this team arriving?" Haruka and Raya looked up simultaneously, gazing at Gaara questioningly. Gaara looked down at the folder, then glanced up at the clock hanging over the door. It read ten thirty four.

He pointed at the clock. "Is that time correct?" Haruka thought she saw something akin to amusement dancing at his mouth.

Haruka and Raya glanced behind. "Yes," they replied in unison. They exchanged dubious glances.

Gaara nodded his head, cunningly hiding the amused surprise on his face. "They should be arriving now then."

The trio deadpanned, each feeling miserable for reasons that were vastly different.

* * *

The whole trip had been utterly miserable. Dismal. Horrific. Abysmal, in fact. It was the worst three days he had ever experienced. He was sure of it. Even recuperating in the hospital for weeks was better than this.

On second thought, it wasn't _that_ horrible. Nothing topped hospitals on his list of miserable and horrible things.

"Kakashi-sensei, are you even listening?!" cried a loud, irksome voice that sounded like sharp nails dragging down a chalkboard.

On a third thought, _that_ voice was a good contender for first on his list.

Sighing exasperatedly, Hatake Kakashi gazed ahead, into the flat desert that seemed to go on forever.. "No, Naruto, I'm not listening. And I'm not your sensei any longer," he replied, his voice dull.

"Oh." Uzumaki Naruto walked along his right, his face scrunched up as he fell into thought. Kakashi watched him with a lazy eye, marveling at his wondrous ability to change moods like he was changing clothes. The teen's hair stood on end, a mass of golden spikes that spoke doom to the world. Kakashi never understood the kid's hair -- it looked like it had a mind of it's own.

Of course, he wasn't one to talk. Y'know, his own hair defying gravity and all.

"_Gomen nasai_, sen -- er, Kakashi." Naruto paused, his face scrunching up again as he wondered whether to add an honorific to his name. The kid wasn't ugly, but he sure wasn't a Sasuke. Naruto's appearance fed off hyper exuberance, all his feeling shown distinctly upon his sun-kissed face. A big no-no for a shinobi. Feelings gave one's opponent an advantage.

Kakashi rolled his eye and glanced toward the young female on his right. Haruno Sakura, sixteen years old. Her shoulder-length hair shone beneath the hot, white sun, shimmering with rosy pink hues. Her jade green eyes noticed his gaze and she flashed him an apologetic smile.

_She's just as annoyed as I am_, he realized with much amusement. He returned the smile with an eye-crease of his own and turned to gaze ahead once more, tuning out the hyperactive babble that resumed alongside him.

"Damn, Kakashi, how much longer?" Another voice that grated his nerves, but no one knew it, of course. He sighed again.

"Shut up, Genma."

"Now that's just rude," Shiranui Genma said, his voice filled with exaggerated hurt. Kakashi closed his eyes, wishing desperately that this was all a horrible nightmare and that he'd wake up in his comfy bed. He opened his eye hopefully and bit back an exasperated moan. Still the blistering desert.

Honestly, if he had been given a choice, he wouldn't have taken the mission. But Tsunade-sama pulled rank on him, and he'd been forced to accept. Apparently he was 'overworked'. Kakashi held back a harsh laugh. Really, he didn't work _enough_. If he had his way, he'd never be home. Nor would he have pointless missions like the one at hand...

"Seriously Hatake. This heat is unbearable. When will we be there?" Kakashi continued walking, ignoring his teammate's grumpy squabble. The guy was no better than Naruto. He glanced at the fair-haired ball of noise and quickly decided that Genma was worse than Naruto.

Genma glared at Kakashi's back and repositioned the senbon needle in his mouth. "I hope the women there are kinder than you... Or not... I heard the ladies there are feisty... Everyone likes a little bit of spice..."

"Save us the dirty talk, Genma, please," muttered Kakashi audibly. His voice was monotonous, free of emotion. But there was an underlying warning there that shut him up.

The group traveled on in silence, save Naruto's endless chattering, Genma's erratic groans of irritation, and Sakura's bored voice attempting to carry out a conversation with him. So, in all honesty, Kakashi was the only one who was silent, pausing in his reading only to grunt in acknowledgment. He was renowned for his focus, his intense concentration on his lovely smut-filled books, but Naruto was talking way too much for his liking He was just contemplating murder when Sakura's relieved voice pointed out Sunagakure.

Of course, he had already seen it. He was Hatake Kakashi, after all.

"Look! There's the village!" Kakashi followed her finger to the oncoming Sunagakure. Relief coursed through his body, but no one would ever be able to provide evidence that his masked had ever smiled with such a feeling. The village lay within a valley surrounded by jagged cliffs and mountains. The only entrance was a tall cleft between two long cliff faces.

He had to admit, it was a quaint village. It aimed for comfort rather than beauty, with buildings made of stucco and clay to combat the burning heat and harsh gales of the Land of Wind. It was too dry for his liking though, with little moisture clinging to the air. He much preferred the lush forest that surrounded Konoha. He didn't bother gazing around -- he had been here too many times in his youth and was quite accustomed to the large buildings. Naruto and Sakura fell behind though, looking around curiously. Genma came up on his side and gazed ahead. Kakashi, recognizing the appreciative glint in his friend's eye, followed his gaze. There was a group up ahead, watching them somberly. Two women, a young man he recognized as Kankuro, and Gaara, walking up to greet him with a respectful look in his usually expressionless eyes. He looked past the Kazekage at the two women.

One was tall and lean, and Kakashi guessed that she was probably seventeen or so. Her hair was a vivid amethyst color, her eyes a startling green. Her skin was pale, uncommon for folk in Suna, but it wasn't something that warranted suspicion. Kakashi dubbed her the Green One in his head. She appraised them with an observant eye and turned to nudge the other girl.

She was leaning against the wall, a short and petite girl that came just past the Green One's shoulder. There was a pout on her face that gave her an adorable quality. He thought she looked about seventeen, but it was hard to tell with her hair hiding most of her face. She couldn't have been much taller than five feet. She was thin and wiry, standing with her arms crossed in a haughty expression. Her hair was braided, reaching down to middle of her back. He dubbed this girl the Cute One.

The Green One nudged the Cute One again and she turned to scrutinize him and the others. He caught her gaze and in that instant he found something familiar about her. But he didn't recognize her.

She recognized him though, and her jaw dropped. Dark eyes widening, she stood straight and walked towards the Green One. The Cute One whispered something in the Green One's ear, and both turned to stare at him shock.

Kakashi was baffled as he approached the Kazekage. letting his gaze rest upon the red-haired _jinchuuriki_.

"Welcome to Suna, Kakashi-kun," greeted Gaara.

**

* * *

  
**

_Holy shit._

Eyes wide, Haruka stared at the masked shinobi. "That's him!" she whispered furiously to Raya. "That's the shinobi from before!" Raya nodded, still staring at him.

Haruka frowned. "Stop staring at him. He'll think we're crazy." Raya's gaze instantly jumped towards the others in a more-than conspicuous manner. Haruka fought back the urge to groan.

Pulling Raya along with her, she walked over to greet the newcomers. Her eyes appraised them: an offensive blonde, a strong-willed girl, and a young man who ogled at pert breasts. Oh yeah, and the masked man. He was tall, a lot taller than her. She guessed the difference to be about a foot or so. His face remained elusive, hidden beneath that fitted piece of fabric, but she could make out a strong jaw and a straight nose beneath. She ventured to guess he was in his late twenties, but he looked young. He stood tall and lean, not bulky and brawny like others of his renowned strenth. He was more the sinewy type, the rippling muscles noticeable yet not. And his hair... She frowned at it, surprised at it's silken texture. It remained as silver as it was the day she met him, defying gravity. His visible eye was a dark blue, she realized, swimming with his observations. She could tell by the way he moved that he was a genius. He scrutinized them all, labeling them, judging whether or not they were a threat.

He shook Gaara's hand, greeting him politely. His voice was just as she remembered it, only free of the infuriating insult that lingered in her memory. Her heart pounded fast and she hoped he didn't recognize her. It would be so humiliating if he did...

She was vaguely aware of Gaara introducing her and Raya. He shook Raya's hand, more out of courtesy, she noticed wryly, then authentic interest in actually meeting the girl. He then turned to face her. He was so tall, so broad compared to her. The scent of sandalwood drifted over her as he held out his hand politely.

She hesitated a moment, standing still on the spot, but she quickly realized how rude she must look. Looking him in the eye, she shook his hand. It was hard and calloused, and so much bigger than hers. Haruka felt very insignificant at that moment.

"Hatake Kakashi," he said, his voice warm. His dark eye watched her and for a timeless moment, Haruka couldn't breathe for fear he'd recognize her. There was curiosity in that eye, and it unnerved her to no end. The moment passed though and she swayed, feeling dizzy from his scent.

"Hayashi Haruka," she murmured, averting her gaze.

He released her hand. She let it drop at her side, dangling uselessly. It didn't matter to her though. She was in too much shock to really care about anything.

"Nice to meet you, Haruka-san. I'm Haruno Sakura," smiled the pink-haired girl. She offered her hand to Haruka, who still felt slightly dazed.

"Likewise..." She let a wan smile wash over her lips, but she found the smile tasted too odd for her. Haruka looked Sakura over and quickly realized that she was yet again the shortest in the group.

Uzumaku Naruto and Shiranui Genma addressed her after that, but Haruka was lost to them all. With a murmured greeting, she moved back and let the group converse amongst themselves. There was much yelling from the one called Naruto; Haruka paused in her thoughts, briefly recognizing the name. The blonde-haired _jinchuuriki_ from Konoha? Her eyes flickered towards him and assessed him as a complete ditz in two seconds. But Gaara spoke highly of the boy, so she decided she would do her best to respect the irritating child.

With that out of her head, she lapsed into a ponderous mood, vaguely aware that the group was leaving.

He hadn't recognized her. She had thought that would comfort her, but she felt far from comfortable. All his useless teasing, his saving her _life_, and he didn't recognize her? That pissed her off. She huffed a hotly, nostrils flaring with aggravation. Haruka-san was a very memorable person. How _dare_ he not remember her. She had even given him a speech that she liked to remember as eloquent. And he didn't remember it! She stalked after the group, brooding, Raya cautiously trailing in her wake.

"Bastard." She scowled at the back of his green vest. He didn't seem to be partaking in the conversation.

"He can't be that bad, Ha-san," said Raya in a matter-of-fact voice. "In fact, he seems quite pleasant."

Haruka whirled around, a glare evident on her features. "Whose side are you on!?"

Raya blinked and tugged at a lock of her hair nervously. Her lips quivered anxiously. "We're already at the point of choosing sides?"

Haruka groaned loudly, turning her head to the sky. Her eyes fell briefly, checking to see if their was a sufficient gap between her and the group. Judging it suitable, she proceeded to scream.

"What did I _do_ to deserve this!? Why me!?" she cried desperately.

Raya stared at her silently, her mouth forming a little 'o'. "Don't you think you're over-exaggerating?" she said, raising a brow. Haruka glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, blowing a thick strand of hair out of her face.

"No. He's a dirty, stinkin' bastard."

"I see. Well, I'll see you when you're feeling more mature then. Maybe you should think about why you're really mad at him," said Raya sweetly, and she turned on her heel, heading towards the others. Haruka gazed after her, open-mouthed.

_Why am I mad at him?_

Haruka looked away, twirling her braid around her finger as a feeling of foolishness overcame her.

_Because he doesn't remember _me_ at all._


	3. Two: Fury

**Chapter Two  
Fury**

Haruka hadn't been this pissed in a long while.

Glaring through a sweep of bangs, Haruka's eyes inconspicuously followed the silver-haired shinobi as he sat down in a silver chair and pulled out an infamous emblazoned with orange. She recognized the title, briefly remembering an incident where Hanajima had accidentally lent it to her. Needless to say, she had been horrified. And intrigued – but not everyone needed to know that.

_So he's a pervert too? Ugh. That's disgusting_, she thought with a grimace. Forcefully moving her gaze, she let it fall toward the pink-haired girl – Sakura, was it? She had wanted to see the hospital in Suna and she had gotten her way in a manner that had intimidated even Haruka. She looked to be about Raya's age, sixteen or seventeen, with a fair complexion and a smile that lit up her dainty face. Her eyes were a beautiful jade green that she envied slightly. And she was tall – at least, taller than a certain pouting _kunoichi_. Haruka had to guess that she around five six, maybe five seven.

With a wistful sigh, she leaned against the counter, wishing for perhaps the millionth time in her life that she could be as elegant and graceful and alluring as most of the women in her profession. It seemed that everyone was glamorous – which made no sense at _all_ to Haruka.

But then again, she'd be a hypocrite to go against the glamorous shinobi that strove hard for their perfect appearances. She too tried to look good – not her best though. Maybe if she had green eyes like the sweet Sakura... Her gaze wandered towards the beaming _kunoichi_, her body ignoring that envious pang that coursed through her.

Haruka wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating this girl though -- she was renowned as the apprentice of Tsunada-sama, only one of the greatest medic-nins _ever_, not to mention one of the legendary_ Sannin_. Haruka could only imagine this girl's skill as both a_ kunoichi_ and a medic-nin.

Her glance strayed towards Kakashi once more. _He_ had been the sensei to the reckless Uzumaki Naruto and the genius Uchiha Sasuke. _He_, who was the infamous Copy Nin. _He _who had graduated from the Ninja Academy at the mere age of five. _He_ who had the great_ sharingan_ implanted into his eye socket at an astonishing age of thirteen. _He_ who had battered down her self-esteem in a single day -- in a single hour, in fact. _He_ who was now watching her with an amused and curious twinkle in his eye -- Haruka eyes widened and she looked away swiftly.

Her gaze landed on the flirtatious shinobi who enjoyed the taste of senbon needles. She had to admit, he was quite handsome. Less-than-serious eyes looked out upon the world in a joking manner. She recognized them as a dark hazel, tinged with hints of green and mahogany. His face was chiseled, every angle alluring and tempting to the eye. He was tall (according to her, which meant he could be short to anyone taller than her) with sinewy muscles. Haruka liked his hair best, though. It was a light brown, slightly highlighted by the sun. It looked so soft and so silky, even from where she stood, filling out medical charts drearily.

He winked at a passing nurse playfully before getting distracted by a visitor. Haruka had always liked the devilish guys, the ones with eyes that gleamed mischievously. They were never looking for a deep relationship, which suited her just fine. Raya always admonished her on that, pleading for Haruka to show some self-respect. People gossiped enough about her as it was; did she_really_ need to fuel the slanderous rumors?

Haruka didn't care. _"Let them talk,"_ she'd shout carelessly, laughing when Raya's forlorn face became aghast, shocked at Haruka's wildness. Then she'd proceed to grab the nearest hot guy and french him senseless, much to Raya's embarrassment. That was when the village's busybodies would get to work and fire up rumors and speculations about Haruka's chastity – was she _really_ one of Suna's biggest sluts?

Really. The thought was laughable. Haruka? A slut?

An amused smirk danced at her lips as she finished off yet another medical chart. She continued to watch the brown-haired shinobi out of the corner of her eye, chuckling when an enraged woman, obviously offended by his gall, slapped him hard across his face.

Genma -- was that his name? Haruka shrugged inwardly. She had caught his glance. His _appreciative_ glance. She cast him a light smile and turned away casually, grabbing a stack of clipboards and balancing them in her arms, hiding an amused giggle as he smiled at her, rubbing his pink face gingerly. Another gaze caught hers as she turned, making her turn beet red.

_He _was still watching her, now clearly laughing at her. She glared at him openly and turning her back towards him. Why did he always watch her? It baffled her. She had noticed that he wasn't a very open person, keeping a tight reign over his expressions. His eye though, it was emotive, with a favorite expression of pure boredom. But she had also taken notice of the few moments where confusion replaced amusement. He was quiet, and not because he was shy, as Haruka distinctly remember how he relished tormenting her that dreary day six years before. Haruka could only venture to guess that he had lost someone close to his heart or that he had been betrayed.

On that note, she sympathized with him. But she still disliked him.

Yes, Haruka was making no sense. She found she often didn't, but it didn't necessarily mean that she was an illogical person. She was just stubborn enough to turn illogic. Frowning at this thought, she turned back around, eyes downcast as she continued to fill out paperwork. To be honest, she was partly unsure why she hated the man so much. She was more mature than that, to carry a grudge from her early teens into her adulthood. She bit her lip unconsciously, thinking hard. On one hand, she wanted Kakashi to remember her, to acknowledge her as the genius girl still in the Academy, who defeated a _genin_. Which she hadn't, really, because she had won by default when he'd used weapons. Though she would've won _anyway_, if the stupid kid hadn't cheated. But still.

On the other hand, she didn't want to be recognized. Kakashi had judged her so far based on appearances instead of talking to her, and she was sure that if he recognized the thirteen year old girl in her, he'd hold her utter immaturity against her.

Suppressing a sigh, Haruka let her gaze fall back to her medical charts, a begrudging feeling settling deep in her bones as she loathed her_shishou_ for making her do paperwork today.

An eye. She could feel it boring a hole in her face. Her frown deepened and she bowed her head further, letting her hair fall over her face again. Why, oh why, did he have to look at her? Why couldn't he be even more perverted and stare at Raya instead? That thought made her snicker. A pervert _and_ a pedophile. Which wasn't a good thing, now that she thought about it. Brow furrowing, she made a mental note to take extra care of her younger friend. _Stupid pervert_, she thought with disgust.

"Ha-san."

Haruka whirled around, opening her mouth to yell at the poor person who had decided to call her name so innocently today. Mouth closing, she rose an eyebrow instead, recognition flashing across her hardened features.

"Hanajima?" she asked, surprised.

Hanajima cast her a forced smile that didn't really go with her usually expressionless face. She had grown over the years, taller than Haruka but still shorter than the long-legged Raya. Almost seventeen, Hanajima had always looked a few years older with her sleek curves and generous bust. Her hair gleamed golden, hanging down in sleek strands to the small of her back. Her _hitaite_ was tied over her forehead, slightly covered by long bangs that fell to her chin. She was as pale as ever – paler than Raya, even, with a soft flush tinging her fair, translucent skin. She was clad in black and red, a yukata-style top over a black skirt. A _mini-_skirt. Haruka grinned at her, murderous thoughts fleeing her mind.

"You just got back from your mission?" Haruka looked her over, suddenly realizing she was helping a young man stand up. His round face was rather green, a light sheen of sweat dampening his brow. There was a thick bandage tied around his leg, stained scarlet.

"I got back last night actually," she said softly. She gestured her hand toward the man next to her. "He woke me up this morning with a message from the Kazekage. I mistook him for an enemy." Her matter-of-fact voice was unnerving, a single tone that echoed out flatly in the fluorescent halls of the hospital. Haruka blinked and shook her head, placing the medical charts back on the counter.

Taking over for Hanajima, she guided the man to a chair in the lobby, pulling up another chair and carefully placing his leg on it. Kneeling beside him, she unwrapped the bandage and hid a wince. She looked over her shoulder in exasperation and asked, "Did you have to butcher the man?"

Hanajima merely shrugged, fixing the cuff of her sleeve. "He shouldn't have barged in."

The man gritted his teeth. "You _told_ me to come in!" Haruka whipped her head around to look at Hanajima helplessly.

The nonchalant young woman shrugged again. "I talk in my sleep. A lot."

Haruka sighed audibly and turned back to the man's leg. It was a jagged gash along the calf of his leg, red and inflamed, oozing with blood. Haruka inspected it, frowning.

"What did you use, Hanajima? A regular kunai is too sharp to leave such a messy cut."

Hanajima reached over her shoulder, pulling out a medium-sized blade. Removing the sheath, she handed Haruka a gleaming blade with razored edges. Haruka stared at her.

"You used _this_ on him?! In your _sleep_?!"

"Call me paranoid."

"Wow.." Haruka looked over it, examining the sharp edges with a keen eye. It gleamed beneath the fluorescent lighting, washed in a clear light that made it seem sharper to the eye. Haruka whistled under her breath, carefully handing it back to Hanajima. Haruka turned back to the wound, crossing her hands over the gash.

It wasn't a deep wound, not serious at all. Haruka focused her chakra to her hands, feeling its cool energy course through her body. Closing her eyes, she guided the pale green chakra into the wound slowly, concentrating on repairing the tissue and eliminating any bacteria that could cause infection. The gash began to repair itself, tissues molding together seamlessly until all that was left was a light pink mark. She opened her eyes and ran a slim finger over the discoloration.

"Wow." The man looked at her and grinned. Haruka returned the smile and stood up, brushing herself off.

"The mark will be there for a couple of hours, but it'll be as good as new by tomorrow," she said quickly. "And try not to disturb Hanajima in her sleep again," she added, suppressing a giggle. The man nodded and moved to get up, testing his leg gingerly. Haruka turned back to Hanajima, smiling again.

"How was the mission? I thought you were supposed to return last week." She grabbed her stack of clipboards and gestured for the kunoichi to follow her down the hall, leaving the Konoha shinobi to explore the hospital in peace.

Hanajima shrugged. "The mission was fine until Kurou-san blew our cover, so we had to stay longer and salvage what we could of the mission."

Haruka sniggered quietly, covering her mouth with a hand. "Kurou's such an ass."

The blonde-haired shinobi looked at Haruka, eyes glinting impishly. "You should've seen the snake I hid in his pack. He screamed like a little girl. You would've died laughing..." She chuckled under her breath.

"Next mission you have with that guy, I'll steal Raya-chan's video camera and give it to you. You have to tape these pranks for me," Haruka said, her face alight with smug joy. Hanajima grinned a real grin, a phenomenon in itself, a rarity scarcely seen by any.

Hanajima was not an open person. It took a lot to get to know her and even now, Haruka felt the blunt woman was keeping things from her. Haruka didn't mind – there were things you just _didn't _tell everyone. Haruka was, however, irked by her friend's nonchalant, inconsiderate attitude. Her outlook on life was extremely caustic, her thoughts and words carefully arranged in a logical and realistic manner. Hanajima was not a dreamer, and that was where Haruka and Raya strayed. They were romantics at heart, their thoughts swollen with fantasies of true love and happily-ever-afters – which, in itself, was rarely found in a shinobi's life. As romantic as Haruka was, though, she was not prone to falling into silly crushes with her colleagues. Experience had led her to abandon a life of love, and anyone who vaguely knew her was aware that she kept most relationships strictly platonic. The few people she cared for in her life were enough.

Hanajima's character had slightly rubbed off on her, Haruka would admit. When she had first gotten to know the sadistic_kunoichi _six years prior, she had been hesitant. Did she really want to befriend such a heartless person? She took a chance though, and jumped in. The years had revealed Hanajima to be a thoughtful person who cared deeply for Haruka and Raya and her village. She just did not know how to go about expressing emotions; past experiences had made the blonde _kunoichi _wary of any sort of relationship.

Though their trio was filled with vehement remarks and cruel pranks, Haruka, Raya, and Hanajima had somehow found a solid foundation that kept their friendship steady. Well, almost steady. Earthquakes would shake their honest friendship every now and then.

_Earthquakes,_thought Haruka amusedly._ More like spiteful gossips that can't stand seeing a happy generation of youngsters._

"You look horrible," Hanajima commented. Haruka nodded dumbly, completely aware. The past two nights had been filled with extra shifts and constant training that had left her completely drained of energy. She knew she must look like hell, with wrinkled clothes and dark shadows clinging to her eyes. Not to mention, her hair was unbrushed, falling out of it's messy bun. Haruka grabbed a few stray strands, inspecting them somberly with a sigh.

"I know. I haven't been home since last night.." She glanced behind her, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I've been covering you-know-who's shifts again..."

Hanajima nodded, sympathetic. "You work too much. You need to stick it to her. You can't keep covering for Manami-san." She shook her head, a dismayed look on her face as she glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Are we meeting for lunch?"

Haruka looked down at the charts in her arms. Pursing her lips, she glanced at Hanajima apologetically. "I'm kinda swamped.. I'm covering for her again, and no, please don't say anything. She needs my help. So I'll meet you and Raya at the restaurant a little late." She wrinkled her nose, a scowl adorning her mouth. "And don't be surprised to see some new faces there," she remarked dryly.

Hanajima furrowed her pale brows slightly. "What?"

Haruka sighed, waving the young woman off. "Gaara-sama will explain it all to you. You should get going. He's been rather impatient lately." She snorted, laughing suddenly. "With Raya, most likely."

Hanajima snickered, turning to leave. "Raya's still hung up on him?"

Laughing lightly, Haruka began to walk backwards, still facing Hanajima. "You've been gone two months and her affections have already tripled. I don't think this little crush of her's will be going away any time soon."

Hanajima let out an abrupt laugh that startled a couple nurses. An idea suddenly struck Haruka and a smile spread across her face.

"Wouldn't it be nice if we gave Raya-chan the opportunity to spend some time with Gaara-kun?"

A wicked glint entered Hanajima's eye as understanding quickly dawned upon her.

"I'll see you at lunch then," she said, implications heavy in her voice. Haruka grinned impishly, handing her charts to a passing nurse with murmured instructions. Hanajima sauntered away, raising an arm in farewell.

Haruka yawned, still grinning as she stretched her arms tiredly. Just as her arms fell to her sides, a youth ran down the stairs, panting heavily. He darted towards her hurriedly.

"Haruka-san! Akemi-shishou requests your presence right away! We've got a trauma – a kunai shattered in the lung!"

Haruka nodded swiftly, her face grim as she followed the intern up the stairs hastily.

_I seriously need a holiday._

* * *

Kakashi was mystified.

He couldn't recognize the young woman, no matter how hard he tried. There was something distinctly familiar about her glare. He couldn't understand why he felt the overwhelming urge to laugh at her when she glared.

_Maybe it has something to do with her less-than-intimidating features._

He felt a smile tug at his mouth. It was true. Haruka wasn't the scariest looking of women. In fact, she was the opposite. She looked downright adorable.

Kakashi instantly admonished himself. One, for his usage of the word 'adorable', and two, for thinking she was adorable.

He casually glanced at her with a subtle eye. She was frowning at her papers, her lips pulled into a pout. Her hair was messy, soft waves falling free from their bonds to frame her face gently. The pout faded and she began to bite her lip. She was absolutely --

Kakashi stopped his flow of thought, eradicating that dreaded word from his mind. But even in all her hateful glory, she remained the same, looking so --

Suna was obviously affecting him. It had to be the heat. And the sand. And Haruka, but he found that thought to be uncomfortable. After all, how old was she? Seventeen, at the most? She probably wasn't even a legal adult yet.

Uneasy with that revelation, he let his gaze jump back to his book, searching for a distraction. He had no intention of being convicted as a pedophile.

_Not that I would ever be caught though, he thought smugly._

All the same, he remained mystified. Curious. He couldn't understand why she hated him. It was apparent that she recognized him, but for the life of him, he could not place her image. He knew he had seen that face somewhere before, and familiar as it was, he knew there was something different about this face he could not remember. If she had been a one-night stand, he would've understood, but he hadn't been to Suna in a long while and she would've been too young at that time.

His flow of thoughts was disrupted by her voice. Her _happy_ voice. Surprise surged through him, his eyes darting to watch her converse with a blonde woman holding up an injured man. He much preferred her happy. She seemed much nicer that way. He'd only ever heard her voice sarcastic and dry, though technically, he hadn't really heard her talk all that much. She had done everything in her power to avoid him the last day and a half.. Which only served to confuse him further.

She looked exasperated as she turned to heal the man. He watched her, recognizing a serene expression that he had seen on Sakura's face a lot recently. A clean and careful flow of green chakra engulfed her dainty hands and spread over the man's wound evenly.

Turning his gaze back to his book, he found himself still lost in thoughts. It was one of the many ways he lost track of time. Kakashi was an intricate man, after all, and he happened to enjoy losing track of time. Be it with reading, or thinking, or tormenting others mercilessly, he found each experience to be rewarding in some trivial way.

Tormenting Haruka would be quite interesting. Not to mention the fact it would be highly rewarding, especially to see her adorable --

Kakashi suppressed a groan, burying his face in his book. A day and a half and he was already ogling at young girls, _without_ Genma's help. He felt a little dirty. He could only imagine what Genma would say to that, and he didn't dare imagine it. Genma's words would probably make things worse. Even imaginary Genma's words.

His eyes traveled towards the named shinobi and he found himself resisting the urge to roll his eyes. His latest escapade-in-the-making stood beside him, blonde and beautiful and a little too obvious in her intentions with Genma. Kakashi found himself wishing desperately that his temporary apartment wasn't next door to his. He'd never be able to sleep.

Genma's words unconsciously floated into his mind. _Why waste time sleeping when you could be --_

Kakashi lowered his book, covering his face with a gloved hand in exasperation. _Age must be affecting me._

"Kakashi-sensei?"

He looked up, dropping his hand. He felt slightly embarrassed as he silently acknowledged Sakura. She smiled at him, unaware of his inner turmoil.

"It's just about time to meet Raya-chan and the others for lunch. Are you coming?" she asked.

Kakashi nodded his head. "I'll meet you there," he said simply, standing up and stowing away his book. Sakura rolled her eyes, realizing that he meant to arrive late. He hid a chuckle at her silent observation.

"We're going then," she said, her voice now brisk, and she walked away, disappearing with Genma and Naruto through the entrance doors.

Kakashi followed at a slower pace, stepping through the threshold into the hot summer heat. Warmth flooded him, a warmth that he found extremely comfortable. He glanced up, shielding his face from the sunlight as he scoped the area. Suna was a bustling village, the atmosphere reminding him greatly of Konoha. The old, the young, the flirtatious, the shy. Little kids chased each other, toy shuriken in hand.

He roamed the dusty streets, observing everything with a keen eye. Suna was the desert equivalent of Konoha. That idea was oddly reassuring. He supposed it was because Konoha had been his home his entire life. He'd lived there through the good times and the bad times.

As he walked, he became aware of a few lingering gazes upon him. He caught the glance of one elderly person who was whispering something. His eye followed the old man's mouth move, recognizing the name.

_Konoha's White Fang._

Some of the elderly folk were whispering amongst themselves. They had mistakenly recognized him as his father. Kakashi felt a sigh rise within him. He pushed it down closing his eyes tiredly. The last thing Kakashi wanted was to be recognized as _him_.

Kakashi remembered when he died. His mother had been distraught, her beautiful face rent with grief. He hated his father for the longest time, hated him for his weakness and his disregard for the rules. After his father died, he brought it upon himself to take care of his mother. His frail mother who had lapsed into a stage of never-ending mourning. She drank herself into liver failure after her husband's death, and Kakashi had suddenly found himself alone. He opposed his father's example and stuck by the rules, furthering his career as a shinobi of Konoha. His strict abidance of the rules left him an emotionless corpse that the onlooking world pitied.

That had changed when Obito had died. Kakashi's face grew morose as he remembered the hyperactive teen that reminded him so much of Naruto. Obito's death had changed him in more ways than one. He had taught Kakashi that certain rules had to be disregarded sometimes. That sometimes, the welfare of your comrade was more important than the success of the mission.

Loss had taught him valuable lessons of life that he cherished. Loss had left him slightly bitter and unable to open up. Loss had created Kakashi and loss didn't want to give him up to the ones who loved him. So loss had taken them away. Loss had left him numb to pain and sorrow and sometimes Kakashi wished earnestly that loss would just end it all for him.

Closing his eyes, Kakashi rubbed at his neck tiredly, struggling to lighten his mood. He continued to walk, ignoring the stares and the whispers and the flirtatious giggles.

His corner of his mouth began to twitch and he opened his eyes, noticing a gaggle of pretty young women eying him admiringly.

That lightened his mood considerably.

* * *

"Damn it," hissed Haruka as she bounded down the steps of the hospital, glancing at her watch. "I'm so late! Raya's going to kill me..."

Taking the steps two at time, she unbound her hair and massaged the back of her head tiredly. The surgery had taken longer than expected. She had nearly depleted her chakra and she felt more tired than ever. Eyes half open, she yawned loudly.

She realized that she hadn't had time to change. This thought irritated her. She absolutely despised the crisp, white uniforms of the medic-nins. She never understood why they wore white – they just ended up getting blood and guts all over them, so what was the point? Glancing down, she realized that she had quite a bit of blood on her. She'd have to stop off at home.

She set off at a fast pace, faster than most civilians and shinobi. Ever since she had graduated from the Academy, she had focused on increasing her speed and agility. Not to mention, she specialized in the use of senbon needles ever since the incident with Kurou. A light smile danced at her lips as she remembered practicing with her mother's pins and sewing needles, but it faded when she remembered that challenge six years ago. She rubbed her cheek absently, the memory rising within her.

Faces were a blur to her as she ran. Her apartment building rose up in her eyesight, growing bigger as she drew closer. She prepared to jump, readying herself to grab the edge of her window. She calculated it perfectly – she'd make it with just a few more feet.

She hadn't factored in an unexpected obstacle, though.

Haruka collided against something hard. It seemed that gravity was against her when she found herself flying backwards. A hand shot out and grabbed her by the waist, steadying her. The familiar scent of sandalwood engulfed her senses.

_Oh shit, _she thought with realization.

"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked, peering down at her, an almost worried look in his eye. Haruka nodded dumbly, a feeling of unease creeping through her.

"Yes," she breathed. Embarrassment flooded through her when she realized his scent was making her lightheaded. He was much too close for comfort, his muscled arm still around her waist. Coughing slightly, she stepped back, her body tingling when his hand dropped to his side.

He was still watching her, that worried look still in his eye. She breathed a sudden 'oh' of realization and gazed down at herself. _He must be wondering about all the blood..._

"I was doing surgery," she explained, her face sheepish. Understanding entered his eye and he nodded. Haruka coughed slightly, feeling rather annoyed with herself. She moved to step around him, deciding against jumping for her window.

"Thank you. Y'know, for.." She found herself gesturing helplessly. "Well, thanks."

Kakashi merely nodded, amusement entering his eye. She could tell by the movement of his mask that he was trying to contain a smile. A light smile found it's way to her lips.

_Damn you, trying to make me smile. You're such a bastard, _she thought irritably. She tried to squash the smile, but she found it difficult. She felt a surge of resentment towards him for his stupid ability to make her smile.

"Are you going to the restaurant?"

Haruka's eyes widened and she gasped. "Oh shit!" She looked down at her watch. Forty-three minutes late. "I have to change!" She darted towards her apartment building, stopping only when Kakashi addressed her again.

"Do you mind if I wait for you? I kind of forgot to ask Sakura for directions. Or the name of the restaurant, for that matter." He smiled again, rather sheepish as he scratched the back of his head almost bashfully.

Haruka nodded her head, her thoughts all a flurry. "Sure, sure!" Turning again, she whipped the door open, bounding up one flight of dingy stairs until she came to the teal door of her apartment. Fumbling with her keys, she finally unlocked it and darted through the messy living room, artfully stepping over the many scrolls and books that littered the ground.

The door to her small room was ajar, but it did not alarm Haruka, because her door was always wide open. In a matter of seconds she was stripped naked, her bloodied clothes tossed carelessly onto the black and white comforter adorning her bed. Arms that were too thin for her liking threw open drawers and moments later she was garbed in simple black slacks and a white tank-top – the first things she could find that were halfway decent for a lunch.

She swiped a brush through her hair and locked her door, departing from her window. She landed a few feet away from Kakashi, gesturing for him to follow her.

It was as he moved to walk alongside her that she realized she was walking with_Kakashi,_ of all people. He was the man who she had ultimately decided to fling her hate upon – the man she currently despised for being naturally likable despite what she perceived as a nonchalant attitude. Slinging her hair over one shoulder, she began to braid it swiftly and messily. Baby hairs framed her face, only to be hidden by the sweep of bangs that fell over her eye. She frowned, scratching her nose thoughtfully.

The silence between them was awkward, and Haruka found herself glancing at the older man many a time. She bit her lip anxiously and looked down. A thought suddenly struck her.

_I'm walking with a pervert._

Her eyes glanced toward him, to see if he was openly staring at any area of her body, but he was gazing ahead, much to her relief. He noticed her stare though and his head turned to face her. A smile twitched at his mouth.

It didn't reach his eyes.

Haruka frowned, still watching him. He was obviously deep in thought. That surprised her, actually. She had expected a barrage of insults and comments directed toward her height. But he was ponderous, quiet, reflective even. It was a much different man she saw now, and she could feel this mysterious image of him replacing the irksome idiot she remembered. She suddenly felt curious.

"What're you thinking about?" She instantly regretted asking when he turned the full force of his eyes – or eye – on her. His brow furrowed and he looked at her without really looking at her.

"Why are you asking?" His voice was flat, but she detected a curious undertone underneath.

She looked away, shrugging. "You seem very... serious. Y'know, intense." She blushed, embarrassment entering her face suddenly. She refused to meet his gaze, feeling the amusement radiating from him.

Kakashi chortled softly. "I.. don't know. I'm just thinking. About things."

Haruka rolled her eyes. "Wow, that was specific," she drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

A louder laugh escaped him. Haruka found his laugh to be pleasant, a velvety sound that lilted in the air quite nicely. A small smile tugged at her lips, only to be shot down by her furious thoughts.

_What's wrong with you? You're supposed to hate him! _Haruka frowned, eyebrows coming together as confusion flooded through her._ I do hate him!_ She didn't notice Kakashi's inquisitive gaze upon her, too lost in her thoughts.

She suddenly realized the effect Kakashi had upon her. Her temper had been calmed, her wild side subdued, by a simple _smile_. This realization worried her. Refraining from biting her lip, her eyes flickered back to Kakashi's face, surprised to find him gazing at her. She stared back, her heartbeat quickening slightly. His eye was dark and thoughtful, a gloriously intense shade of blue that reminded her of the ocean she had once glimpsed when she was nine. Haruka was mesmerized.

Kakashi suddenly looked away and nodded his head toward some building. "Is that the restaurant?"

Haruka followed his gaze, nodding slowly. "Let's go," she commanded quietly, and she moved ahead of him, leading the way. She felt shaken and rather silly by the trance she had fallen into, a feeling of humiliation and shame coursing through her. He was a stupid man. A stupid man who had saved her life years ago. A stupid man she had refused to thank. She felt a surge of resentment towards her ungrateful self.

Eyes downcast, she replaced the mask on her emotions that Kakashi had so easily torn down.

* * *

Raya's eyes were wide as she stared down at her bowl. The shock she felt was as intense as when it first entered her twenty minutes ago.

Hanajima had invited _him_. _Gaara-kun._

Her heartbeat sputtered a moment, before resuming a fast pace that left her slightly short of breath. She bowed her head even further, a curtain of purple hair shielding her face. The others were talking amongst themselves, laughing and eating. She vaguely heard Kankuro make a pass at Sakura, a furious retort shaking the table in response. Naruto and Genma were trying to see who could finish four bowls of ramen first, their grunts and slurps lost amongst the overwhelming silence she heard when Gaara-kun was around.

The door opened, a jingle resonating throughout the restaurant. Raya looked up, recognizing Haruka's by presence alone. She was standing with..._Kakashi?_ Raya frowned, noticing the resentful look in Haruka's eye. This resentment wasn't directed to anyone in general... In fact, Raya thought she saw disgust in Haruka's eyes.

_Something happened between them, _she realized. She blinked and looked at Ha-san again, only to find that her mask was back in place. She hid a sigh, waving at the pair of them.

"Over here, Ha-san!" Haruka smiled a smile that didn't reach her eyes and stalked over. Raya had been hoping she wouldn't be too angry at her. Her comment on Ha-san's maturity the day before had left things kind of iffy, even when Raya had called her last night.

Ha-san and Kakashi walked to their table. Haruka pulled out a chair next to Naruto, grimacing at his fast paced slurping of ramen. Genma had abandoned the challenge though, when Ha-san and Kakashi had entered.

Kakashi, on the other hand, pulled out a chair next to Gaara-kun, sitting down lazily. He didn't look much disturbed by anything that could have happened. Raya bit her lip and moved her gaze back to Haruka.

It was then that she noticed the dark smirk on her face. She and Hanajima were watching each other, chuckling. A victorious smile was upon Ha-san's lips and Raya watched as she glanced at Gaara-kun with amusement.

Raya suddenly realized that Hanajima hadn't invited Gaara-kun. It was all Haruka's doing.

Fury burned in her eyes. _You are so going to pay for that, Ha-san._

Naruto had challenged Genma again. "I bet you I can finish my ramen before you – again!" Genma accept the challenge with a proud smirk and the two were at it again.

A grin found it's way on Raya's lips as she thought of the perfect revenge.

* * *

Kakashi was more confused than ever. Haruka was mystifying – what was wrong with her? She went from pure loathing to generally pleasant and making jokes to pure loathing. Was the girl crazy?

She was laughing with Hanajima now, but Kakashi could see that there was something wrong. Her every move was half-hearted. It was like she didn't want to be there. Kakashi had to admit that he didn't really want to be there either. He'd much rather read an Icha Icha book and eat a cup of instant ramen.

But there was something else. In those few minutes he had spent with her on their way to the restaurant, he realized that she was just as guarded as he was. She had let her walls down for him, just a little. Something he had done had disturbed her though, and now she was as guarded as ever. She covered everything up with sarcasm, hiding herself behind a flaming wall of resentment and anger. Kakashi realized he was frowning and straightened up, regaining composure.

"Kakashi-kun... are you enjoying Suna?" Gaara ate his food slowly, eyes roaming the restaurant almost lazily. Kakashi shrugged, looking away from Haruka's face rather reluctantly.

"It's very nice here. Nice people." As he said this, Haruka fell into a cuss-fest, whacking Naruto on the head for spilling ramen on her pants.

Gaara snickered. Kakashi looked at him, unused to any form of emotion from the teen. Gaara glanced at him from the corner of his eye, a light smirk upon his lips.

"Haruka-san can be a little.. crazy sometimes," Gaara said, turning his gaze toward the petite girl.

"Girls can be like that," Kakashi remarked, thinking back on Sakura's many ballistic moments. Gaara looked at him with amusement and chuckled under his breath.

"You'd better not ever let her hear you say that," warned Gaara quietly. Kakashi raised an eyebrow, confused.

"What is she? Seventeen? I believe that still constitutes as 'girl'."

Gaara closed his eyes. Kakashi could tell he was trying not to laugh, which confused him further.

_What the hell is so amusing?_

The Kazekage's pale eyes twinkled with amusement, as if aware of Kakashi's confusion. Kakashi could've sworn her heard the boy snort as he turned towards Haruka's enraged person.

"Haruka-san, how old are you again?"

Haruka halted mid-rant and stared at Gaara-kun. She rose a dark eyebrow, her mouth twisting with something akin to confusion and disbelief.

"Nineteen," she said slowly. "I swear, Gaara-sama, I think your mind deteriorates with age. And you're younger than me!"

Gaara turned to look at Kakashi, chuckling when he saw the shocked expression in his eye. Kakashi stared at Haruka, letting his gaze jump towards Sakura. A three year difference between them, yet they looked very similar in age. Except.. now that Gaara mentioned age, Haruka was more developed than Sakura, her petite body more curved and defined. His gaze dropped a few inches... Kakashi swallowed hard when he realized she was developed in more ways than one.

Gaara laughed at him. Kakashi felt slightly foolish and more than little nervous now. She was above the legal age.

_Well, at least all my previous thoughts are justified now._

* * *

Haruka didn't really enjoy the lunch. She found it pointless, rather mediocre. It didn't help that Naruto had spilled his ramen on her_twice_. And Kakashi kept staring at her now, like he was in shock. Oh, and she couldn't forget Raya's conniving looks of pure evil. And Kankuro's stupid pick-up lines were starting to get on her nerves. Her eyes shifted to the left, irritably noticing Genma's appreciative gaze.

_I shouldn't have made him think I was interested, _she thought exasperatedly. Another voice popped up in her head.

_Why's that? Interested in someone else? T_he voice was pure evil. Haruka gritted her teeth, eyes moving towards Kakashi's face of their own accord. He was drinking a glass of water through the fabric of his dark mask. She suddenly wondered what his face looked like._ What the hell? Why would I even wonder that? Stupid bastard._

Kankuro was murmuring something now, something that sounded perverted to her ears. Haruka whirled around to face him. As she moved, her arm hit a passing waiter, who stumbled in his steps. Crying out loud, a tall pitcher of cold water fell over and completely drenched Haruka.

Silence. That was all she heard. And then the table was engulfed in laughter. Haruka burned red, waving off the waiter as he apologized over and over. When he left, she waited a few minutes for the laughter to dissipate, but it remained loud. Her nostrils began to flare.

"Shut the fuck up!"

The laughter dwindled away to low chuckles and snorts. Haruka glared at them all, looking down at her shirt. Her face reddened when she saw that her bra could be seen through the white fabric.

"Nice bra, Hayashi. I always did think purple was your color," a sly Kankuro said suggestively. Haruka smacked his head, hissing incoherent words to him. Blood rushed to her face, deepening her humiliated flush.

"Wow, Ha-san. I think you've invented a new shade of red!" Raya's eyes glimmered almost evilly, as if she had planned this all along. Ha-san glared at her, the fury she felt towards her renewed.

"Shut up, Raya," she snapped. She could feel many gazes on her chest. Unconsciously, she crossed her arms over her chest, highly humiliated. She looked up hesitantly, relieved to find that Kakashi was purposely looking anywhere in the restaurant but at her. His gaze fell and he threw a threatening glance towards Genma.

"Geez, Haruka. Lighten up," Raya said, rolling her eyes with exaggeration. Haruka stared at her, frowning. Raya returned her gaze evenly, glancing toward Gaara then back at her.

In that instant, Haruka suddenly realized that she _knew_. She knew it was Haruka's idea to invite Gaara. Which, under normal circumstances, would've been fine, but Haruka had dared to embarrass Raya in front of guests. The new people. That was near unforgivable in Raya's eyes. Swallowing hard, she looked down at her plate, masking her humiliation with anger.

The silence at the table seemed interminable. Haruka could feel her face warming with a blush as the others' gazes became apparent to her. Raw fury began to burn in her veins and arteries, and the restaurant suddenly seemed to quiet, as if aware of an impending explosion.

"I swear, Raya, if you don't shut up I'll -- "

"You'll what? Knock a pitcher of water on me?" Raya stared at her. Raya always did know how to get through to Haruka, and this was one of the few times she regretted ever letting her walls down. She broke off their staring contest, sliding her chair back and standing up.

"Fuck you all," she muttered, and she made to leave the restaurant. Raya suddenly laughed.

"That's so typical of you, Ha-san. Blow everyone off with stupid swear. I bet you couldn't last _one_ day without swearing or insulting someone."

Haruka slowly turned around, her face indiscernible. "Is that a challenge?" Her voice was extremely quiet.

Raya smirked at her. "Possibly."

Haruka matched her smirk, her eyes glittering. "I'll go twenty-four hours without swearing. If I have not sworn by the end of twenty-four hours, you have to clean my apartment. For a month." If Haruka remembered correctly, her apartment was currently a chaotic mess.

Her smirk dimmed slightly when she saw the positively evil glint in her friend's eye.

"If you have sworn by the end of that twenty-four hours, you have to go to work in a nurse's outfit for a week."

Haruka frowned. "What's so horrible about _that_?" she asked incredulously. Raya let out a tinkling laugh.

"Not a regular nurse's outfit."

Haruka stared at her, confused. Kakashi was choking on his water, a sympathetic Gaara hitting him on the back. Genma started to snicker, along with Kankuro. _The perverts are laughing. Why are they – Oh shit._

"A _sexy_ nurse's outfit!? No fucking way!"

"Are you wimping out?" Raya grinned at her, face cocky. Haruka's eyes hardened.

"I'll do it," she said firmly, her voice cold. Raya's grin turned to one of victory.

"Good. The bet starts now."

Haruka looked the group over, her eyes steely. Most were trying to contain their laughter, except for Kankuro, who openly laughed now. Gaara looked merely exasperated and tired and little irked that Haruka wasn't making an effort to get along with anyone. Sakura was watching her, as if she was trying to understand her. And Kakashi... Haruka avoided looking at him again, the humiliation deepening when she had recognized the sympathy in his eye.

Not bothering to bid them farewell, she pushed open the door, one arm covering her breasts tightly. She disappeared in a flash, eyes stinging.

Genma, Naruto, and Kankuro burst into laughter. The waiter who had spilled the water on Haruka winked at Raya, merely happy because of the large tip she'd given him to accomplish the task. Raya smiled, but her eyes were filled with remorse. She had recognized that glint in Ha-san's eyes. Her eyes jumped to Hanajima, who watched her with a solemn eye, having also recognized the glint. A lump rose in Raya's throat, and she swallowed hard, trying to get rid of it. Her eyes jumped towards Haruka's abandoned seat, gaze glued to her untouched plate.

She looked down, feeling guilty at the thought that she had made Haruka cry.

* * *

**Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Hayashi Haruka, Hanajima, and Satoma Raya belong to my friends and I. **


	4. Three: The Ones Left Behind

**Chapter Three  
The Ones Left Behind  
**

"Haruka, I'm sorry!" Raya pounded against the door again.

Haruka sat in a leisurely fashion, her back propped up by the side of her small couch. She faced the white door, a large bowl of popcorn sitting in her lap. Tossing another buttery piece in her mouth, she scowled at the quivering door, remaining silent.

She heard a sigh of exasperation. "If you don't open this door, I'll have to resort to force. You can either save yourself the expense of paying for a new door or you could just unlock it."

Haruka glared at the door, her mouth twisting into a pout. "I don't want to talk to you, Raya," she muttered angrily, her voice carrying through the crack beneath the door.

"Look, Haruka, I'm sorry. I was just mad that you invited..." Her voice trailed off. Haruka suddenly felt a grin spread across her face as she imagined Raya blushing furiously. Raya seemed to regain composure, because she finished her previous thought. "._.. him!_"

Haruka clamped a hand over her mouth, trying to restrain the sudden urge to giggle hysterically. Her body began to quiver from the strain. She could just see it – Raya, talking in her usual, energetic fashion, only to cease when she caught sight of Gaara-sama. She could imagine the expression, like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. Her mouth, gaping wide, chopsticks in hand, the clattering of shrimp and rice in surprise.

A snort escaped her, followed by a giggle, followed by a heavy onslaught of giggling. Her eyes began to tear up and in her giggle-fit, she knocked over her popcorn. She snorted once more when she realized that Raya was laughing too.

It was a few moments before they quieted down. Haruka stood up, lazily kicking aside the popcorn, and opened the door. She looked up at Raya, a small smile on her face.

"I'm sorry, Raya," she said, her voice soft. Her eyes irradiated the apology she was trying to convey.

Raya grinned, looking rather sheepish. "I'm sorry, too, Ha-san. And not just because of what happened earlier..." She looked away, scratching the back of her head nervously.

Haruka's face was puzzled. "What?"

"You're so melodramatic, Haruka."

Haruka's eyes widened and a horrific expression found its way on her face. A tall woman pushed her door wider open and stepped through before Haruka could say anything. A feeling of nervous dread crawled up her spine and she grabbed Raya through the threshold.

"You invited _Temari_? Are you fu – insane!?" Her voice was a furious hiss. Raya's face was apologetic.

"I ran into her on the way here! She wouldn't take 'no' for an answer!"

Temari, who was circling the small apartment, turned to face them, an eyebrow raised. "You do know I can hear both of you clearly?"

Haruka glared at the blonde _kunoichi_, the familiar feeling of irritation itching through her skin. She hadn't seen Temari in.. two months? Temari was on the same squad as Hanajima and Kurou. She was a slender woman with a curvaceous body. Her aureate hair was pulled into a series of ponytails, and the look worked for her. Light blue eyes eying her impishly, Haruka felt more than a little bland, a feeling that was nothing new to her.

"I still don't get why you're so spiteful towards me, Ha-san," Temari said, her voice dripping with exaggerated sweetness. Haruka frowned at her, not fooled by her saccharine voice.

"Well, Temari, let me jog your memory." A scowl adorned her lips. "What was it that happened? Oh yeah! Setting me up with that ANBU guy, who had delusions that I was actually _interested_ in him. Yeah, if it wasn't that stupid _forced_ date, then it would probably be when he didn't get the hint and waited for me to get home from work,_ in my bed!_" Haruka huffed, her eyes flashing dangerously.

Temari doubled over with laughter. "That! That was priceless! I still can't believe he was wearing -- "

"Shut up Temari! Horrific images, trying to enter my mind!" Haruka grimaced, closing her eyes and clutching her head desperately. Raya hid a giggle, moving to sit on the cranberry red sofa.

Temari's lips pulled back into a mischievous grin, her white teeth glinting in the light. A devious look entered her eye.

"He was incredibly sexy though. Don't you think, Ha-san?"

"Fu – ugh! Shut up Temari!" Haruka cried. Her face was pulled into one of pure exasperation and weariness. _Stupid bet. I can barely function if I can't swear... What the hell? I have some serious issues if _not_ swearing is having this effect on me..._ Haruka frowned, casting a side-long glance towards Raya.

"Is the bet still on?"

A slow smile spread across Raya's face and her eyes narrowed mischievously. Haruka stared at her, heart sinking. She and Temari looked eerily similar...

"Of course." The cackle in her voice was near undetectable, but it was there, ringing out in waves that filled Ha-san with utter dread. She pouted pathetically, her face drawn into an expression of pure despair.

Temari snickered. "You must be suffering terribly, Haruka." She stepped forward, ruffling Haruka's hair playfully. "Ickle Ha-san... Are you up to being chased by pervy men next week?"

Haruka glared at her, slapping her hand away. Pushing her bangs out of her face, she leaned, gazing past Temari's shoulder at Raya, who lounged lazily on the sofa. Her pout deepened.

"You told _Temari_!?" A whiny tone crept into her voice.

Raya's grin became more pronounced. "I couldn't _not_ tell her. Temari thrives off this stuff." Temari nodded, stalking over to the sofa and falling against the soft cushions. She propped her feet up on the coffee table.

"Ugh. You guys are so utterly infuriating," Haruka mumbled, bending to clean up the popcorn she had spilled earlier. Raya and Temari snickered and a series of whispers began to dance between them. Haruka's eyes narrowed as she straightened up.

"What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing, Ha-san!" Their voices chimed together, filled with deception and schemes. Eyes still narrowed, she stalked to the kitchen, mumbling under her breath about meddling friends. Her apartment wasn't big, with a small kitchen, a small living room and a door that led to her room on the side. It was a rather messy place, with books and scrolls scattered about, along with empty boxes of take-out. There was a big counter that prevented her from seeing much into the living room. Sighing aloud, she tossed the popcorn into the trash can.

Sticking the bowl in the sink, she turned the faucet on and grabbed a sponge. The voices were louder in the living room... Frowning as she scrubbed the bowl, she realized there were more than two voices.

"What the.." Abandoning the bowl, she turned the sink off and strode towards the living room. A familiar voice drifted towards Haruka's ears. She could recognize that voice anywhere... Her earlier resentment faded away into sudden happiness.

"Onii-san!" Haruka bounded in the living room, beaming brightly. A man stood in the doorway, holding the hands of two young girls. He stood at average height, the same bronze-colored skin and wavy hair as Haruka. His eyes were just as dark, but filled with a seriousness that Haruka lacked most days. She and her brother looked distinctly similar, but whereas Haruka was slight in body, her brother was stocky, with broad shoulders and thick muscles.

Haruka embraced him, still smiling. "How've you been, Onii-san?"

Her brother laughed, eyes crinkling. He looked to be in his late twenties. "I've been fine. How have you been holding up? We see so little of you these days..."

Haruka stepped back, biting her lip sheepishly. She was suddenly aware of how messy her apartment was. "I've been a little busy. Y'know.. The hospital.. missions..." Her voice trailed off.

There was a cough behind her. She jumped, startled, and whirled around. Temari and Raya rolled their eyes at her. "We were just telling Daisuke-san what a busy little _kunoichi_ you are," said Raya, her voice dripping with sweetness. Haruka narrowed her eyes at her, perfectly aware that she was up to something.

She was distracted by two hands tugging at her impatiently.

"Ha-chan! We wanted to see you today!" Haruka crouched down, smiling sweetly at the two girls. They were near the same height and could pass for sisters, but their features were different enough to set them apart. Suzume, Daisuke's daughter, was a thin child with long limbs she had inherited from her mother, Daisuke's wife. Her eyes were the trademark dark brown of the Hayashi family, but her hair was purely her mother's. It was a caramel color, traces of a deep chocolate entwined within the strands. She was going to be tall, standing there, awkward with her long body. She smiled at Haruka, throwing her arms around her in an ecstatic hug.

Sayuri, on the other hand, was a petite and slender thing, one of the most feminine little girls Haruka had ever seen. She was the spitting image of her mother, Haruka's elder sister, with a fair complexion that was as smooth as porcelain. Her eyes were a lighter brown that Haruka had envied her sister of during their childhood. A little button nose with a sharp tip, adorable dimples, and sleek tresses of an auburn brown, and Haruka suddenly found herself lost in memories of her elder sister. The five year old shyly hugged her aunt, more withdrawn than Suzume.

Daisuke grinned at Haruka, adopting the sheepish grin she had recently worn. "The girls begged to see you today... But if you're busy, we can come back another day..."

"Otousan, Ha-chan's never too busy for _us_!" Six year old Suzume rolled her eyes with extreme exaggeration, planting her hands on her narrow hips. Sayuri nodded, still hugging Haruka.

"Yeah,_ Otousan_, I'm never too busy for my little women!" Haruka stifled a giggle, sticking her tongue out at Daisuke. He rolled his eyes, smiling.

"What about us?! Doesn't Temari get a hug too?!" Temari's voice was filled with mock hurt. Sayuri and Suzume giggled, bounding towards Raya and Temari with many hugs and kisses.

Haruka stood up, glancing back at the two girls before turning towards Daisuke. He looked troubled now that the girls weren't paying attention to him or Ha-san. Haruka frowned at her older brother and put a hand on his shoulder.

"What's wrong, Daisuke?"

Daisuke looked at her, then let his gaze travel pointedly around her apartment. "You seem more than a little busy," he said. She could hear Temari and Raya tickling the girls mercilessly on the sofa.

"How are you holding up?" he asked, after a few moments. Haruka sighed, wishing she could join in on the tickle fight behind her.

"I know my place is a little messy, Onii-san, but I swear, I'm fine. I'm just being saddled with a few extra shifts at the hospital and Akemi-shishou has been teaching me a new medical technique... Really, Daisuke, I'm _fine_."

Daisuke bit his lip, looking past Haruka at the giggling girls. A crease appeared between his brows. _ He's struggling to tell me something... C'mon, Daisuke, spit it out..._

"Look, Haruka, mom's been asking about you... She's willing to -- "

Haruka was suddenly furious. "She's willing to what? Accept me? Accept that I'm a shinobi – no! A_ kunoichi?_ What did she say to you? _'Oh, poor me, my daughter is so spiteful, so hateful, she won't even talk to her own dear mother!'_ She said she's willing to compromise, right? Bah! Tell her to stop giving a damn, because no one's falling for her stupid act!"

Daisuke hastily glanced at the girls and then grabbed Haruka by the shoulder, wheeling her towards the kitchen. Haruka breathed heavily, her heart racing as the anger boiled in her blood. Daisuke covered his face with a hand, moaning in exasperation.

"She said she's willing to come to terms with your occupation -- "

"Occupation!? Being a shinobi is a life-long commitment!"

"Haruka! Please!"

Haruka glowered at him, hushing up. Daisuke sighed and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of nose in a feeble attempt to calm himself.

"She said she misses you."

Haruka burst out in humorless laughter, her eyes remaining cold. Daisuke watched her, looking weary and a bit saddened. She laughed and laughed, but there was no happiness or warmth. Her laughter died down until it was just a last chuckle.

"Daisuke ... You know she doesn't miss me," Haruka said quietly, her face expressionless. Daisuke sighed again, nodding just barely.

"But she loves you -- "

"No, Daisuke. She loves what I could be. What I could've been. The only thing she misses is harping on about what a disappointment I turned out to be..." Haruka looked up, noticing a light gleam in his eyes. He was looking away, gazing out the window into the happy world outside, where people laughed actual amused laughs.

"We all know who she really misses."

At those words, Daisuke turned to face her. She could see the tears in his eyes, the tears he refused to let fall. She didn't hate him for the tears, or think any less of him. They were the same tears she had shed, the same tears of anger, grief, and shame that she had let fall in a time of misery and self-hate. She met his gaze evenly, hating that stupid lump that rose painfully in her throat.

"Daisuke -- " She began, when she could finally speak. Daisuke cut her off.

"She's sick, Haruka. You know she hasn't been the same since tou-san died!" There was an almost desperate tone in his voice, a desperate tone that ripped Haruka's heart to shreds. He wanted to see his sister again, she could tell by the pleading in his eyes. Their deaths – her sister's and her father's – had left a gaping hole in all of them. In her mother, in her brother, in Haruka... Grief overwhelming her, she realized that they were the ones who were left behind to miss them needlessly. Their deaths had driven apart a family that the world had imagined was perfect and happy.

Haruka knew how hard it must be for Daisuke. He had to live everyday, the audience to a constant flow of hate and blame that his mother and Haruka threw back and forth at each other. He missed the happy family setting that even he had deluded himself into thinking was real. Eyes welling up, Haruka looked away, ashamed with herself. _If only you knew Daisuke... You are just as blind as the rest..._

Haruka let her gaze fall to her feet, the familiar feeling of self-hate surging up inside her. She knew she would regret her decision. She knew that nothing good would come of it. But if it meant seeing that pleased twinkle in her brother's eye, she would do it.

Hiding a sigh, she whispered, "I'll talk to her..."

His eyes shining with happiness and relief, he smiled at her. Haruka's heart fell, knowing it wouldn't end well.

* * *

Raya exchanged a glance with Temari when Haruka and Daisuke returned to the living room. Temari shrugged, remaining just as in the dark as she was. Daisuke seemed genuinely happy, smiling at his daughter and niece as he told them to stay on their best behavior. But Raya could see through Haruka's smile. It was transparent, not reaching her hard eyes at all. Raya felt a frown adorn her face. She was so tense and apprehensive, her body language icy.

Sighing aloud, she leaned back into the heavenly cushions of Ha-san's couch, all the while watching the woman in question. She knew her well enough to know that something was going on. She had been uptight and almost cold the past couple weeks, and Raya realized that it had multiplied since the shinobi from Konoha had arrived. Her frown deepened. Could seeing Kakashi really have such an adverse react on her? Raya didn't think so. It made no sense... How could Ha-san be hung up on something so childish?

_Something else is going on... Something she's not telling. _Raya sighed at this thought. Something was always up with Haruka. Raya had had enough conflicts in her own life to know that. Really, Raya was a perfect candidate for heartache and pain. She had learned to deal with grief at an early age, when her father had died from a injury sustained from a past battle. And then there was her mother, losing her mind with a daughter and son to take care of. Raya's eyes glazed over as the memory came to her mind. Her mother had lost it, and social workers had deemed her unfit to care for her children. Raya and her younger brother had grown up with her grandparents, until Raya had moved out on her own a couple months ago.

Her eyes slowly glanced towards her older friend. Haruka, on the other hand, had never learned to deal with loss. She had grown up in a happy family, her parents well known tailors. Her life was the image of perfection, with loving parents and well-behaved siblings. But Raya knew... Haruka let very few into her personal life, having learned one thing from her loss – the inability to trust. Haruka was the youngest of three, the wildest of three, the rebel of a trio of kids. She had been the one who dared to stray from the life her parents had planned for her. She had been the one who grew up in the shadow of a glamorous and flawless sister. She was the forgotten child, the one who nosy old women gossiped about. _"There goes that Hayashi child... Look at her! Such respectable parents, and she sullies their reputation! Why can't she be more like her older sister?"_

Raya knew Haruka through and through, and though sometimes she was confused by her self-hate and loathing for her family, she was there for her friend. Eyes still on Haruka, she watched as she picked up Sayuri and planted a big kiss on her cheek. Raya smiled.

"I'll bring them home around six, then."

Raya pursed her lips, remembering something. "Haruka, don't forget! Dinner at Temari's house at six thirty!"

Haruka whirled around, giggling when Sayuri tickled her under chin.

"Temari's place? I thought it was at your's?" Haruka frowned, stopping when Sayuri smoothed out the crease. She tweaked the girl on the nose and turned her glance to Raya again.

Raya gestured towards Temari, who was showing Suzume a 'magic' trick. "My place is too small for so many people. Temari offered her apartment," she explained, slightly apologetic when an irritated gleam entered Haruka's eyes. "Sorry."

"S'okay," she mumbled turning her attention back to Sayuri and Daisuke. She bid her brother farewell and again, Raya noticed the sudden tenseness in her friend's eyes. But it disappeared when she spoke to Sayuri.

"What do you girls want to do? Ice cream, the park... You name it!"

Raya grinned when Haruka looked at her. Ha-san returned the grin, swooping down on the two girls with much laughter.

Sometimes, Raya thought rather sadly, Haruka only seemed happy with her two nieces. But Raya knew better...

Haruka had always been a very good liar.

* * *

"Mm... Kakashi, did you see that? I'm telling you, they make them different in Suna... S'all sexy curves..." Genma's voice trailed off as he gazed at a gaggle of young women.

"Were you saying something? Because all I heard was, 'Blah blah blah, I'm a dick head.'"

"Asshole."

"Likewise."

"You enjoy being a little shit, don't you?" Genma glared at him, swiveling the needle in his mouth around with his tongue. Kakashi didn't bother looking at him, eyes still glued to his infamous book. The pair were walking about Suna, sufficiently bored, nothing to do. Sakura had dragged Naruto to a bookstore, wishing to scope the literature before they were given a mission.

"Who in their right mind would enjoy being a little shit?" Kakashi could practically feel the irritation rolling off the shinobi in thick waves. It served to entertain him at the moment.

"Smart ass," muttered Genma under his breath. He looked away, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. "This place is so damn hot!"

Kakashi merely grunted in reply, which only irritated Genma further. He waited for Genma's furious reply, but it didn't come. He heard, instead, an appreciative sound escape his friend's mouth.

"Now_ that_ is fine."

Kakashi looked up, following Genma's gaze. Two women were crossing the street. Two _kunoichi_, Kakashi realized. He recognized Temari and Raya, who were conversing loudly. He could hear them laughing...

"Is that Temari? Damn, she looks good. Look at her ra -- "

"Did you happen to forget that two years ago it would've been illegal for you to even touch her?" Kakashi felt slightly disgusted with the man.

Genma snickered. "That was two years ago. Now she's as legal as she'll ever be! Look at her body! How can you look at her and _not_ think like that?"

Kakashi rolled his eye, letting it fall back to his book. Genma snickered, moving in front of his friend. "I forgot, Hatake Kakashi prefers smut to the real thing. Really, man, you're unbelievable. We're in_ Suna_, surrounded some of the most gorgeous women _ever_, and you're not feeling a thing?"

"Who said I'm not feeling anything?" Kakashi asked, his voice perfectly innocent. Genma narrowed his eyes at him, raising an eyebrow.

"I do, and that's because you're a heartless bastard."

Kakashi chuckled. "You, Genma, are a right piece of work."

Genma let out a loud laugh, startling an old woman. He flashed her an apologetic smile and then turned to Kakashi almost enthusiastically. "That's the best you can come up with? _'Genma, you're a right piece of work?'_ Really, Kakashi, age is getting ahead of you."

Kakashi turned a page in his book, frowning. "Genma, we're the same age."

Genma stretched his arms wide, puffing out his chest. "I have the body of twenty-two year old." He kept his chest puffed out, casting a winning smile at a young woman as he passed. "A sexy twenty-two year old."

"You keep thinking that."

"Bastard."

Kakashi grinned. It was so easy to push Genma's buttons. It was like the man was created to become his official... annoy-ee? Kakashi shook his head inwardly, rather disappointed at himself for coming up with such a lame name.

"Is there no one for you, dear Kakashi?" Genma's voice was filled with mock sadness and disappointment. Kakashi shrugged, silently praying Genma wouldn't being describing women for him. It'd be too much...

The man beside him grumbled. "Are you even into women?"

Kakashi actually stopped in his tracks. He stared at Genma, who had stopped ahead of him. _Gay? He thinks I'm _gay_? What the hell is wrong with him? _Mustering up all his strength, Kakashi cast him the darkest glare he could summon. Genma wasn't fazed though. He returned the stare with an arrogant one of his own.

"I'm very much straight," he responded tightly. Genma just smirked.

"Are you? I'm not so sure, now, Kakashi. You don't date, you don't _talk_. You and the female sex don't seem to cooperate. Sure you're not gay?"

Kakashi was irked. Very much irked. Genma was getting on his last straw. He was about to speak, but the man in question barreled on.

"Take Temari and... Raya, was it? You barely glanced at them, and those two are _very_ fine examples of the female population. That Temari... Mm, now she was sexy. And the purple-haired one – odd hair color, but her legs were hot. Long, incredibly sexy... And such a nice ass. Y'know, maybe blondes don't do it for you. Are you brunette man? There was this cute girl at the restaurant today... Hot body and everything..."

Kakashi was just about ready to knock him unconscious. The man just would _not_ shut up. He was beginning to think that Genma was created to annoy the crap out of _him_. _Bastard_, he thought, glaring at him.

"What about that Haruka girl? Really tiny, but she's a spicy one. Just imagine her in bed! And a nice rack too! You wouldn't think someone that small could have such wonderful boobs, but Suna seems to be just _filled_ with surprises. And she's so curvy – if you look past the lack of height, she's just as fine as the rest. Beautiful hands too, imagine what she could -- "

"Genma. Shut up. _Now_." Kakashi didn't bother glaring at him. His expressionless stare was filled with enough ice to shut the man up._ For now..._

Genma fell quiet, but he continued to look around, an extremely pleased expression on his face. Kakashi had learned to read faces at a young age, but for the life of him, he could not understand that self-satisfied smirk on the senbon-loving man's face. It was like he had heard just what he wanted to hear... Kakashi glanced at him from the corner of his eye, suddenly suspicious.

Talking about the Cute One had done it for him. Genma just _had_ to ruin his image of the Cute One. It was just like him, tainting the image of every woman that crossed his path...

_Who said it tainted her image? Everything he said was true._

Kakashi hated his mind in that instant. Despised it. It was taunting him with her face, that small smile tugging at her sensuous lips when it had been just him and her earlier. That rare smile that he suddenly wanted to see more of...

He gave an audible groan. Genma snickered in return, as if perfectly aware of his thoughts.

_I hate Genma._

* * *

"Ha-san! I don't want to go home yet!"

"Yeah, me neither!"

Haruka gave a light laugh and knelt before the cousins, truly happy to spend time with them. Suzume grinned, her freckled face alight with excitement. Sayuri smiled shyly, her hands behind her back as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet.

"You know I'd love to take you home with me -- " Haruka began, but she was cut off by a hyperactive Suzume.

"Then take us with you! You can teach us to become powerful _kunoichi_ like you!" Suzume struck a pose, arms held up in a fighting stance. Sayuri nodded ecstatically, her face bright.

Haruka laughed, bringing the two girls closer to her. "I would love to, but I don't think your dad would be very happy. Can you imagine him without you? Who would take care of him?"

Sayuri, in a sudden burst of confidence, rolled her eyes. "Duh, he has Oka-san to take care of him!"

Haruka's heart swelled painfully at this. Her mother and brother had decided not to tell Sayuri that her real mother was dead. They felt she was too young to understand. Haruka disagreed, not liking the fact that they were lying to Sayuri. But Haruka was shot down and her niece lived, thinking that Daisuke and his wife were her real parents.

Her eyes suddenly stung and she blinked hastily, not wanting to alarm the girls. "But who will make him laugh? Who will play with him and remind him not to work so much? Hmm? I know two little girls who are perfect for the job..." Haruka looked away playfully, disguising her emotions cleverly.

Suzume and Sayuri sighed in unison. "Fine," mumbled Suzume. Haruka stood up, shaking her head with a smile and taking both their hands. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow over the golden village of Suna. Pinks and reds streaked the sky, blending in serenely with violets and lavenders. Sayuri and Suzume gazed at the setting sun, transfixed by the utter beauty of it.

They walked through the streets, giggling and pointing out silly things, like a bird with a shiny toy clamped in it's beak, or scurrying squirrel. Suzume was easily tired of such things, being a full two years older than her cousin, but Sayuri giggled with Haruka. They finally neared a broad house and Suzume instantly bounded up the path to the door, not bothering to say good night.

Sayuri paused, still holding Haruka's hand. It was so small and dainty inside her's, so warm and soft. Haruka smiled and crouched so they were eye to eye. Sayuri seemed to be struggling to say something. She looked away, appearing more timid than ever.

"Haruka-san?"

"Yes?"

"How come we never get to see you?" Sayuri gazed at her, eyes filled with such sincerity and longing that Haruka felt her fragile heart snap. She wanted so desperately to unload everything onto the little girl, but she held her tongue, smiling sadly at the girl instead.

"My mother and I are mad at each other right now," she said softly. Sayuri frowned.

"Why are you and _obaachan_ mad at each other?" She asked, her voice soft. Haruka took Sayuri's hand and placed it over her heart.

"We're both hurting here."

Sayuri's childish face wrinkled in confusion for a small moment, but it evened out into an expression of determination.

"I don't want you to hurt, Haruka-san!" Sayuri threw her tiny arms around her, planting a kiss on Haruka's cheek. "Are you still hurting?"

Haruka felt a pang in her heart. She wrapped her arms around Sayuri, returning the loving embrace. "No, Sayuri, you made it all better," she said softly.

Sayuri smiled, proud with herself as she grabbed Haruka's hand. "Let's go!" She cried happily and Haruka laughed, following the girl towards the house.

The dread within her climbed with each step she took, and Haruka found herself trying to remember when she had last spoken to her mother. Sayuri paused and looked up at her, flashing a reassuring smile. The door slid open.

_It's been too long, Oka-san._

* * *

"Raya!"

The girl in question whirled around to face Temari, who stood almost nervously in the kitchen. Hanajima almost laughed out loud at the utter hilarity of it all, but really, Hanajima didn't laugh. It just wasn't right.

"The food's burning!" Temari cried, frantically. Hanajima was pretty sure that this would be the only time she would hear the independent woman so terrified. She hid a smile behind a pale hand, moving to prop her feet on the coffee table in the living room.

"Why are you just standing there then!? Do something or move!" Raya's voice was a high-pitched shriek. Hanajima winced slightly, her eyes lazily moving back to the high-strung pair.

Raya was moving swiftly in the kitchen, her fair face flushed with the exertion and slight embarrassment. Her long, purple locks were pulled up in a messy ponytail, a few wisps falling to frame her face. Was that a piece of cheese on her chin?

"Um... Raya?" Hanajima asked, hesitantly. Raya looked up, her eyes flashing furiously. Hanajima had to hand it to her – she could pull off a death stare wonderfully. But nothing fazed Hanajima. She smirked slightly and pointed to her chin.

Raya frowned moving her wet fingers over her face to find the piece of cheese. Her face burned red.

"Wow Raya, I think you've invented a new shade of red," she drawled sarcastically. The quote must've embarrassed Raya, for her face flushed even more.

"Shut up! You're distracting me -- "

"Raya! The rice!"

Eyes widening, Raya stumbled to the stove hastily, whipping the pot off the fire.

"The heat! You dimwit, you set it too high!" Temari's scolding did little to soothe Raya.

"I'm sorry! I'm so darn nervous – argh, where's Ha-san when I need her!?" Raya fell to her knees in the smoky kitchen, pulling at her hair furiously. "I can't cook!"

"I could've told you that, Raya-chan!" Three heads whipped towards the doorway – well, two heads. Hanajima didn't bother looking up at the sound of Haruka's voice. She hadn't hid her chakra signature, so she knew she had been approaching the apartment for some time.

"Haruka!" Raya staggered out of the kitchen, falling against Haruka and grabbing her by the collar of her shirt desperately. "Where have you been? What took you so long!? Why is there ice cream on your shirt!?"

"Sayuri spilled some on me." Haruka slowly removed Raya's tight hands from her shirt, staring at the girl. "Yeesh, Raya, just order some take-out."

Raya's grip finally released, she fell to the floor, her face rent with exaggerated anguish. "No! I wanted to cook a nice dinner! The perfect start to this stupid program... Argh! Haruka! What do I _do!?_ They'll be here soon!"

"I just _told_ you Raya. Take-out. Give me the phone." Hanajima watched, lazy, as Haruka shuffled to the other end of the room to order the food. Raya wailed in the kitchen, an irked Temari patting her on the head hesitantly. "You did good, Raya. Just not great," she said, her voice rather unkind.

Hanajima rolled her eyes, glancing back towards Haruka. Raya had told her earlier that something was up, but that was no surprise. In the six years that Hanajima had known Haruka, something was always up. Frankly, it was rather irritating now. The girl just couldn't sit back and enjoy life. She could hear Raya's shocked admonishment in her head. _'How could you be so cold-hearted!? After what you went through, you can't even try to understand what Haruka's goind through? You're so infuriating, Hanajima!'_

She rolled her eyes. _What the hell._ Ha-san's life was the image of perfection. Sure, she'd grown up with an unloving mother, but Hanajima felt that was a lot better than growing up _without_ a mother. Unlike Raya, she wasn't willing to justify the feud between Haruka and her mother. It was _stupid_! Haruka had suffered less loss than most shinobi, and here she was having a stupid breakdown.

_Wuss. She hasn't had to deal with a single ounce of what I had to go through._

Hanajima felt rather guilty at that thought, but it was true. But who was she to measure the degree of pain that people felt? Raya had long ago let go of her pain – or so she said. Hanajima didn't think it was entirely possible to let go completely. She hadn't let go yet.

_Think of something else. _Hanajima looked up at Haruka, who was still talking on the phone. She was nodding her head, ordering... who the hell cared? As long as it wasn't Raya's cooking.

Hanajima chuckled again. Raya couldn't cook for beans. That was what puzzled her so much – normally Haruka would try to dissuade her from dying in the attempt to cook. But she hadn't today... Something was off with her.

_Moron. Something's always off with you, isn't it? Why can't you just be pleased with your darned life? Quit grieving! _Hanajima repressed a sigh. Hadn't she said she was covering for that girl again? Manami-san, was it? Hiding a frown, her face remained expressionless as she thought about their earlier conversation.

_Maybe it's stress. _Hanajima's eyes jumped to the woman in question again._ It has to be stress. Working extra shifts at the hospital while still working for the Kazekage as a shinobi? Stress._

Hanajima made a face, not really caring if someone saw some trace of emotion on her face. Whatever the hell it was, something was up.

Yawning widely, she stood and stretched her limbs. "They'll be knocking in about five minutes."

Raya instantly began shrieking. "What!? Already!? Why!? How do you know!?"

Hanajima merely stared at her. "Honestly, Raya, are you really a shinobi?"

"SHUT UP!"

* * *

Kakashi didn't really understand Raya-chan's need to make them all get together. The way their first day was going kinda said it all. With two perverts openly flaunting their perversion, a blonde ball of hyperactivity, a pink-haired bomb, a high-strung wreck in love with the Kazekage, a frighteningly emotionless woman, and a kleptomaniac midget, Kakashi wasn't really sure this program would so much as survive.

_Honestly, Tsunade-sama, what the hell were you thinking when you sent me here? With Genma, Naruto, and Sakura, at that?_

Really, with the way things were going, the stupid program wouldn't live to see it's first mission. Sakura had already punched Natuo twelve times in the day and a half they'd been in Suna. Genma had ogled every living thing that was female and under the age of thirty. Kankuro was practically helping the man. Kakashi wanted to knock them both unconscious and bury their bodies far away from the world. Perhaps he'd stick their pathetic heads on some pikes too, let him flaunt his obvious barbarism to the world. But then everyone would be cursed to see the rotting faces of two shameless perverts. Even in death, he was sure they'd still ogle at anything with breasts and estrogen that walked by.

Kakashi smiled darkly to himself, lost in thoughts of murder. No one would ever know it was him. After all, he was Hatake Kakashi, the genius who had become a _jounin_ at thirteen. He was a former ANBU captain. He knew how to pull off the perfect assassination.

His smile became almost crazed as he imagined Genma with that stupid needle sticking out of his eye. Maybe he'd be creative too, add a few more senbon needles and make him look like a tortured voodoo doll.

Kakashi was almost deranged at this point, because stupid Haruka was still in his stupid, stupid head.

_Genma will suffer for his perverted ways._

Honestly, Kakashi was rather perplexed himself. At least, a part of him was. He was not the kind of man who fell for random women, but even he couldn't deny that there was an obvious attraction between them. Kakashi was not stupid – the way she had stared at him just before the lunch incident told him she felt the same. But he would dismiss it all. Hell, he _was_ dismissing it. He was a full ten years older than her. He was old compared to her glorious youth.

Of course, the fiery attraction could _possibly_ have been fanned by the risqué rumors about Haruka. The women of Sunagakure, he realized, were much like the women of Konohagakure. They lived for gossip. And judging by the things he had heard about Haruka, it wasn't the nice kind.

There were whispers that Haruka had been impregnated at the early age of sixteen, following in the unfortunate footsteps of her older sister, and that she had had an abortion. Others said that she slept around with countless men, toying with their hearts like they were trinkets. Some of the more far fetched stories blamed her explosive temper on the fact that she was _currently_ pregnant and had realized that she preferred women over men and had left her most recent lover in favor of someone more female.

It was all a load of bullshit, in his honest opinion. Haruka was _obviously_ not pregnant and she didn't seem the type to sleep around. And he was sure she wasn't lesbian – at the most, he'd say she was bisexual. He hadn't forgotten her entranced stupor when he had first met her.

He tapped his chin thoughtfully, remembering the whispered rumors he had heard at the bathhouse earlier. He had overheard some young men talking... Of course, Kakashi wasn't one to eavesdrop.

Which, naturally, meant that he had eavesdropped.

The young men worked at the hospital, in various divisions and departments. Haruka, he discovered, did not date much. In fact, she didn't date at all, as one pock-marked youth had complained. One said that she was too engrossed in work for a love life – some Akemi-shishou overworked her apparently. Another shot back that he had seen Haruka making out with a woman from Toxicology. A third had said he'd heard that she was the kinky sort of girl, and then the talk had drifted lazily until they were conversing about a woman at the teashop.

Pursing his lips, Kakashi realized, for what felt like the millionth time, that Haruka was a mystifying person. A mystifying person who intrigued him senseless.

A mystifying person with sensuous dips and curves that called for his touch...

Kakashi quickly shook his head free of such thoughts.

He could feel Genma's smirking eyes upon his back, taunting him silently. He continued to stare straight ahead, refusing to give Genma the satisfaction of turning around with a retort. That'd make him exactly like Sakura.

"I hope we have ramen for dinner."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. Sakura sighed, wearily putting a hand over her eyes as she followed the blonde shinobi up the stairs. "You can't _always_ have ramen, Naruto," she said, her voice exasperated.

_Naruto must've worn her out. Poor Sakura. I should've ditched Genma earlier..._

Naruto was replying back in his furious fashion, bright blue eyes glinting. "You've been saying that all day, Sakura! What's wrong with eating ramen!?"

"Um.. Naruto... All you talked about today was ramen. Don't you have anything _else_ to talk about?"

"Ramen-hater. You're just like Haruka-san. She was freaky today, in the restaurant. I never knew such a small person could yell so loudly..." Naruto's face suddenly flushed with embarrassment.

Kakashi hid a chuckle. _Probably thinking about the water pitcher incident._ He blinked at that thought, feeling the same embarrassment Naruto was probably feeling. And quite suddenly found himself struggling to rid his mind of Haruka and her wet, transparent shirt. And that dark, purple bra, standing out beneath the white, perfectly accentuating the curve of her breast...

A strangled sound escaped him.

"Are you okay, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura glanced at him over her shoulder, rosette brows pulled together with slight worry.

He merely grunted in reply. Genma chuckled knowingly behind him.

_Bastard. You'll pay for your words._

The stairs finally ended and Sakura led them down a hall, eyes searching for apartment 102. Finally finding it, she cast a warning look at the babbling Naruto, who hushed up instantly. The door swung open before she could knock on it.

"Hello! Come in, come in!" The violet-haired Raya smiled at them, looking flushed and frazzled. A streak of flour lined her cheek.

"Raya, the take-out should be here soon!" Raya whipped around, her wide eyes glaring at the person yelling behind her.

"Oh, they're here? Sorry!" Kakashi recognized that sheepish voice as Haruka's. Swallowing hard, he found himself pushing away that unwanted image again.

_Are you sure it's really unwanted? I'm pretty darn sure it's wanted._

Kakashi's mind really did hate him. Cleverly disguising his scowl, he entered the apartment behind Naruto and Sakura, nodding quickly at the beaming Raya. He suddenly wished he had been able to get away. He'd much rather arrive here late than early.

His eyes roamed the apartment, an air of disinterest hanging over him. Temari's apartment was big enough for the two teams, but there was an obvious lack of seating available at the table. Raya began to apologize, gesturing them towards a pair of couches where Hanajima was already seated. Her eyes were closed, her bored face tilted toward the ceiling.

"Hello," she said blandly. Genma stared at her, unsure whether or not to reply.

"Eh.. hello."

"Haruka! I wanted to ask you something!" Sakura made her way towards the named _kunoichi_, smiling. Haruka returned the smile, greeting the girl softly. Kakashi noticed that Sakura was a few inches taller than her.

_Wow.. She really is short. It only makes her seem more -- _ Kakashi stopped himself before the word adorable could enter his mind.

"Kakashi! Long time no see!" Temari strode from the kitchen, jumping onto the couch next to him. "How've you been, old man?"

Kakashi rolled his eye. It seemed like he was doing that a lot lately. "If I'm old, Temari, than you're practically an infant."

"Ouch, Kakashi, that hurts. Hurts bad." Temari let out a laugh, her gaze landing on Genma, who eyed her with that familiar look of appreciation. She rose an eyebrow.

"You old men are pervy!" She exclaimed, her pretty face devious.

"Hey! I'm not old!"

Kakashi chuckled at Genma's indignant reaction, moving his gaze towards Hanajima, who remained disinterested. Naruto sat beside her, watching her almost nervously. _Is she sleeping?_ She was so still it seemed like she wasn't breathing.

"Hey, Naruto." Kakashi leaned forward, a wicked glint in his eye. Naruto glanced at him, pulling a hand through his golden hair.

"What?"

"Don't look so scared. I don't think she'll hurt you. Much." Kakashi felt an inward surge of pleasure when the blood drained from the teen's face.

"Don't be so sure, Kakashi-kun. I'm not as kind as you think."

Naruto jumped, startled. A chuckle escaped Hanajima, whose face remained indifferent. Kakashi repressed a shiver himself. Her lack of emotion was downright creepy.

"I don't really enjoy using that technique... It works fine on missions, but every situation is different, isn't it?" Haruka's voice drifted towards him. She was talking to Sakura about various surgical methods. The pair seemed highly engrossed in their conversation. Kakashi watched them closely as Hanajima proceeded to scare the living shit out of Naruto and Genma.

Her body posture was rigid and icy, like she didn't want to be there. Kakashi had to agree with her – again – on that. Where were the missions? He didn't like sitting around like this. The setting was too... personal. Hatake Kakashi was not a personal person. He hardly had a personal life of his own, and he didn't really intend to start having one now. His beloved Icha Icha collection would suffice, thank you very much.

He would've imagined, however, that everyone would relax in such a setting, but Haruka remained very much tense. He didn't blame her – having an entire restaurant see your breasts wasn't very confidence-inspiring.

He was sure there was something else though. Kakashi was good at assessing people. He had to be, growing up as a genius and all. In the day and half he had been in Suna, he had come to understand a few things about the team he and his squad were instructed to join. They were a tight-knit group that was obviously not very happy to be in the program (take Haruka's constant mood swings and death glares as a clear example). They were also very... silly. Trivial. Kakashi wasn't sure how they had even survived on past missions. They were _jounin_, right? Well, from what he had seen so far, they didn't seem like it.

Then again, Genma didn't either. But that was different. Genma was a different person when it came to missions.

Kakashi shrugged inwardly. It all depended, really. He wasn't sure these petty Suna shinobi were competent. He'd just have to wait for a real mission to see.

While he waited for a mission, though, Kakashi found himself content to ogle at Haruka-chan over the top of his favorite book. His mind just wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

* * *

He was staring at her again. Haruka was sure of it. She looked down at her plate, wishing she had been lucky enough to snag a seat at the table again. But there hadn't been enough seats and a devious Temari seemed rather keen on her sitting on the couch with Kakashi and Naruto.

It was unnerving, really. Raya was constantly staring at her too. Ha-san repressed a sigh, pushing around the rice on her plate. Raya was obviously curious as to what had happened with Daisuke in the kitchen earlier. _Damn Raya. Of all the times she pays attention, she just had to go and pick today._

Hanajima seemed quite irritated with her too, but Haruka couldn't be sure. Hanajima was constantly irritated. Haruka didn't blame her – she wouldn't dare blame her. Hanajima was too intimidating to so much as blame.

But Kakashi... Why was he still staring at her? She ventured a glance towards him through her bangs, but her gaze fell back down to her plate. She admonished herself inwardly for that. _What the hell? Just glare at the man and be done with it!_

She glared at her plate instead. What an awful day. First the water pitcher incident, then the bet... She wasn't even going to address the issue with her mother and brother. It was too irksome a subject to think about. The bet though... Temari and Raya seemed quite keen on breaking her.

_She'd like that, the little slut. Ugh. She'd never let me live it down if I lost the damn bet. _Raya and Temari were giggling now, a conspiring glance passing between them and even Hanajima. Both looked her way and Haruka scowled at them. Temari winked at her.

_Stupid Temari. I may not be able to cuss aloud but I can cuss you out in my head. Haha! You fucking slut, you're going pay for your evil ways! Karma shall find you, deem you a bitch, humiliate you endlessly, and then leave wallowing in misery. HAHA -- _

"H-Haruka-san?"

Haruka frowned, looking away from Temari and towards Naruto instead. "Um.. yes, Naruto?"

"I saw you earlier today... You don't have kids do you?" He seemed extremely nervous, a bit regretful. _Probably imagining an adverse reaction. Hah!_ She could see Kakashi watching her curiously out of the corner of her eye.

A little chuckle escaped her, growing into a louder laugh. He must've seen her with her nieces! _He thinks I'm a mom – holy cow, what a moron!_

She snorted, covering her face with a hand. "N-no, Naruto. Not a mom. How old do you think I am?" She closed her eyes, pressing her hand over her mouth when the laughter wouldn't stop.

Naruto seemed surprised by her reaction. "No? But who were those kids you were with earlier?"

Haruka looked at him, smiling for his benefit. She didn't really want to intimidate the boy. "They're my nieces. And even if they weren't... would it really matter?"

"Well.. No. I was just curious. Um.. you don't seem the type to have kids, I guess." She could see Kakashi slapping a hand over his face exasperatedly, as if wondering what the hell was wrong with Naruto's brain.

Haruka leaned forward, ruffling Naruto's hair. He suddenly looked rather frightened. "So it only took you a day and a half to figure me out?" She smiled dangerously and stood up, taking her untouched plate into the kitchen behind Raya, who was refilling a water pitcher.

"Naruto, you _baka_."

She could taste a smirk on her lips as she strode into the kitchen. She was vaguely aware of Kankuro telling the others of Raya's utter obliviousness. _Stupid Naruto, thinking he can judge me. Like that stupid Kakashi, thinking he can stare at me freely. And stupid Kankuro. Exploiting Raya's naivety... Oooh..._

A grin found it's way on her lips and she lingered in the kitchen, setting her full plate on the tiled counter. Raya cast her an odd look and sat down at the table, setting down the jug.

"Hey, Raya," said Kankuro slyly. Raya looked up at him, raising a violet brow.

"What?"

Kankuro held up a silver quarter, a knowing smile on his painted face. "If I tossed this coin.. what are the chances of me getting head?"

There was an instantaneous reaction throughout the occupants of the table, not to mention the loners on the couch. Genma choked on his food and Sakura had to hit him on the back as he coughed. Naruto was staring at Kankuro like he was a madman and Kakashi looked amused. Temari, who sat at the end of the table, out of Raya's line of sight, had covered her face with her hands to hide her laughter.

Haruka collapsed against the counter, disappearing from view. She slid down to the floor, clutching her stomach as she tried to quell the laughter rising within her. The silence was tense, everyone's breath baited as they waited for Raya to blow up at him.

She looked merely perplexed. Looking at him like he was stupid, she rose slightly in her chair and leaned forward to snatch the gleaming quarter from his hand. "Kankuro, I swear, you're an _idiot_. There are only two sides to a quarter, so _obviously_ you have a fifty percent chance that you'll get head. Duh."

Haruka began to gasp as the hilarity of the situation took over. She could hear other poorly-silenced laughs around the apartment. A part of her felt guilty for a moment, but it was instantly quelled when Raya began to go on about using logic and percentages and theories on chance and such.

Normally she would save Raya the embarrassment and steer her away from such conversations, but the day had been so crappy that she couldn't resist a little humor at Raya's expense. _She'll never forgive me. Nor Kankuro, for that matter..._

Smoothing her shirt (a safe, black yukata-style top, a contrast to that stupid white tank she had opted for earlier), she stood up, smoothing all form of laughter and amusement from her face.

Kankuro was snickering at Raya, nodding his head dumbly as she rambled on an on with numbers. Everytime she said 'head', someone would snort and she would look their way sharply, eyes filled with a silent admonishment.

Raya wasn't going to understand anytime soon, so Haruka flew in for the rescue...

* * *

Raya's face burned with embarrassment when Haruka had finished her whispered explanation. She felt utterly, utterly stupid. Coughing slightly, she stood up and walked briskly towards the bathroom, her body posture perfectly still and straight. Haruka darted after, amusement battling with worry upon her face.

_I am such an idiot. _Raya's face twisted with humiliation just as she slammed the bathroom door shut. Or prepared too. Ever so swift, Haruka had jammed her foot in front of the door to stop it.

"I hate you, Hayashi Haruka. I don't ever want to see you again." She gave Haruka a bland stare. Haruka rolled her eyes, forcing the door to open wider.

"That's all good and well, but seeing as how I still love you unconditionally, you shall see my face constantly until the day I die." Haruka plastered a big grin on her face and shoved through the door. Raya glared at her, green eyes filled with humiliation and fury.

"Why didn't you stop me!?" She hissed before Haruka could speak again. Raya moved her glare towards the ceiling, not really in the mood to see that sheepish look she knew would be on Ha-san's face.

"I had a momentary lapse of good judgement?"

"Ugh, Haruka, that's so _typical_ of you! Do you know how embarrassing that was!? To think I actually thought he was talking about a quarter!" Raya hid her face behind her hands. "I'm so glad Gaara-kun couldn't make it..." she mumbled, her voice muffled by her hands.

"What did you say?"

_Oh crap. Did I just talk about Gaara out loud? _Raya removed her hands, shrugging away the comment by glaring daggers at Haruka.

"You, Hayashi Haruka, are going to march back in there and yell at Kankuro!"

Ha-san stared at her. "You want me to yell at him? What good will it be if I can't use any swear words?" Raya felt a smile tug at her lips when she noticed the pathetic note in her friend's voice.

"Do you really think you can win this bet?" Raya let out a cruel laugh. The roles were switched and Raya found Ha-san glaring at her now.

"I haven't cussed yet, have I?" Haruka's face was haughty and proud. Raya snickered.

_Not for long, Ha-san... Mwahahaha!_

"Um.. Raya?"

"Did you just laugh evilly?"

Raya's eyes widened. "I said that out loud!?"

It was Ha-san's turn to snicker now. "Yep."

* * *

The second Raya and Haruka had fled the room, Temari found herself laughing her head off. Kankuro was looking at Genma with an expression that said 'Am I good or what?'. Naruto was snorting.

Sakura was irked. Her eyes of jade cast the black-garbed youth a dark look. "That wasn't funny, Kankuro-san."

Kankuro snickered, exchanging a cunning glance with Genma. "Au contraire, little Sakura-chan, we all seem to laughing. Except for you – did you not understand the little joke just now? Aww, I'm sure Ha-san is willing to explain it to you, just like she's doing now with Raya!"

Sakura's eyes blazed with fury. She stood up straight, her chair sliding back. "Say one more word, Kankuro, and I swear, I will castrate you in this very apartment!"

Kankuro swallowed hard, unconsciously moving his legs together. He eyed Sakura, as if trying to judge whether or not her word was true.

Naruto nodded his head sagely. "She'll do it, Kankuro. You should shut up and safeguard the goods."

Temari snickered when Kankuro decided to play it safe. Silence lingered in the air for a few minutes, disturbed only by chewing and the clinking of dishes.

Genma finally spoke up. "Did she really not get it or was she just acting?" His voice sounded rather disbelieving.

Kankuro chuckled, poorly disguising it as a cough when Sakura shot him a black look. Temari laughed and answered for her intimidated younger brother.

"Raya doesn't understand many things of that sort. But she's not any less smart because of it. Ha-san generally looks out for her when it comes to stuff like that." Temari glanced at Kankuro, who was trying to fight off a devilish grin. "You'd better watch out, Kankuro. Haruka's probably going to come out here and kick your ass."

There was a flash of fear in his eye at that. Genma let out a barking laugh.

"You're_ scared_ of her?! What is she, five one? She's a midget! What the hell can she do to you?"

Kankuro's eyes widened and he stared behind the foolish Genma. Temari followed his gaze, her mouth forming a little 'o'. Genma raised an eyebrow, not intimidated by the nervous expression on Kankuro's face.

"She's behind me, right?"

"You bet."

Haruka bounded forward and grabbed Genma by the collar of his shirt, tightening it until it was rather hard for him to breathe. She grabbed the senbon needle from his mouth, twirling it between her fingers experimentally.

"Next time you decide to gossip about my height, make sure I'm not within hearing distance, Genma-_kun_. You don't mind, do you?" Her voice was a dead whisper, but the fury was unmistakable. Genma's eyes followed the needle dancing artfully in her fingers. He shook his head quickly.

"Good..." She released him, still playing with the needle. A tense smile adorned her lips and she stalked into the kitchen, twirling the needle faster and faster.

Genma rubbed his neck, eying Haruka in the kitchen with an irritable expression. "She's crazy." Swallowing experimentally, he picked up his chopsticks, only to snap back his hand when his senbon needle landed in the wood with a soft whistle.

"Holy shit! You're fucking insane!"

Temari laughed long and hard, and soon Raya and Sakura had joined in. Hanajima chuckled, hiding her mouth behind a hand. They reveled in Genma's misery, openly humiliating him. He pouted almost childishly, his adorable hazel eyes filled with irritation.

"You missed," he muttered, casting a glare at her from the corner of his eye.

Haruka turned around, a sickeningly sweet smile on her face. "Naw, I'm pretty sure I didn't miss."

Genma glowered at her, the girls howling with laughter at his obvious humiliation. He glared at his plate, removing his senbon needle from his chopstick begrudgingly. _Crazy bitch_, he thought scathingly. _But a sexy, crazy bitch._

Genma sought cover under the only shield he knew how to use. Perversion came to him naturally.

"Y'know," he began slyly. "Being short isn't so bad... Imagine _all_ the places you could reach, without having to so much as bend or kneel..."

The laughter instantly silenced and Genma found himself regretting his comment. He could've sworn the temperature had dropped ten degrees.

"What... did you just say?" Haruka's face was stony, her eyes as cold as ice. Genma gulped, suddenly understanding that look Kankuro had had upon his face earlier. A sudden spasm of fear shot through him.

"Uh..."

"You fucking piece of shit! How _dare_ you say something so lewd and... FUCK!" Haruka collapsed to the floor, disappearing from view. A series of strong curses echoed in the air, an infuriated Haruka practically sobbing.

"You lost the best!" screamed Temari happily. There was a wide smirk on her fade.

"FUCK!"


	5. Four: The Past Remembered

**Chapter Four  
The Past Remembered**

Raya laughed maniacally, tears streaming down her face. "Haruka... You... nurse's outfit..." She burst out laughing again, gasping for air. Temari lay on the floor beside her, clutching her stomach desperately as she howled with laughter.

Haruka's heart was still plummeting. Eyes downcast, she imagined the perverted, old patients that were sure to lust after her.

"I'm going to sexually harassed for a whole fucking week," she moaned aloud, clasping her head in her hands.

Temari paused in her laughter to look at up at her. "Forget sexual harassment! You'll end up being molested by your patients!" Raya and Temari collapsed into another fit, shrieking on the floor.

"You'd never be... able to fight off.. a mob.. of pervy men!" Temari clutched herself desperately, hardly able to breathe.

"You're too much of a shrimp!" Raya's gasping voice was no better than Temari's.

Haruka scowled darkly to herself. Raya fell down again, wiping at her eyes. Temari finally calmed herself down enough to merely giggle. Their eyes moved simultaneously towards Haruka.

She glared at them, her mouth pulled into a pout.

They exchanged glances and fell over again, giggling fits of laughter getting the better of them. Temari stumbled over, her face red, and she pinched Ha-san's cheek. "You look so adorable when you pout!"

Haruka swatted away her hand, standing with a mournful sigh. _At least they're amused. Raya hasn't asked about Daisuke yet... Thank God. I don't think I could deal with that too._ Temari and Raya continued to laugh behind her, struggling for air.

Shaking her head with extreme aggravation, she gazed about the apartment with a pathetic eye. She finally noticed Hanajima lying on the sofa, eyes closed. Her silken hair fanned over the pillow beneath her head, gleaming like gold beneath the dim light. Sighing again, she sat near Hanajima's feet, pulling her legs up to her chest.

_What a horribly rotten day,_ thought Haruka. Her voice was abysmal and haunting when it voiced this thought in her head.

"Quit moping, Hayashi."

Haruka gazed somberly at her itty feet, wriggling her toes experimentally. That stupid pout still adorned her lips, refusing to go away no matter how hard she tried to eradicate it.

" I shall continue to mope because I don't give a crap what you say," she said stubbornly, the pout firm on her face. _Stupid Hanajima. I can mope as much as I want._

"Says you. I say you do give a crap what I say."

Her matter-of-fact voice was so grating. Haruka gritted her teeth, trying to control the irritation she suddenly felt towards Hanajima. Looking at her would only serve to infuriate her further, she knew, because Hanajima always appeared so.. so _disinterested_. It was like she didn't give a damn what the world thought of her. She could be as freakish as she wanted and nothing anyone said ever fazed her. Haruka felt a surge of jealousy.

_I wish I was like that. I care what everyone thinks about me._

A grunting sound emitted from Hanajima's lips. She was growing impatient for a reply. Haruka rolled her eyes, plastering on a fake smile. The muscles in her face hurt from all the fake smiling she had done today. Not to mention, her throat was hoarse from screaming...

"Fine. I give a crap what you say."

"Yeesh, Haruka, you're such a pushover. You didn't put up an argument or anything."

She glared at Hanajima from the corner of her eye, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from bursting out in curses. Hanajima was just as infuriating as Temari, but whereas Temari seemed to take everything in stride, Hanajima had a limited amount of patience. Haruka generally tried to control herself when Hanajima was around. No sense in getting butchered by Hanajima and her extensive arsenal of weapons, right?

"I'm just sick of fighting, Hanajima," Haruka sighed. Hanajima's eyes remained closed, a lazy expression lingering upon her fair face. Haruka turned her gaze towards Hanajima, her face evening out into one of deep thought.

Hanajima looked almost looked normal, lying as still as the dead, save for the occasional rise and fall of her ample chest as she inhaled deeply. There were no twitching eyebrows or lines tugging her mouth into a frown. Her penetrating blue eyes were hidden from the world, golden eyelashes brushing against her snowy skin. Haruka felt another tug of jealousy in her gut, but she shooed it away irritably. She looked so serene, as if she was free of cares and wants. No horrific memories clouding her eyes darkly, or self-loathing echoing upon her face. Haruka wished she could attain such serenity and peace with herself.

She instantly felt foolish. Hanajima, whose past was so tragic that Haruka was often plagued with bouts of overwhelming sympathy and grief, could attain such serenity. Hanajima, who had been orphaned at a young age, whose parents had died tragically and mysteriously. But Ha-san – stupid, stupid Ha-san –, whose life was far happier and filled with much less loss, could not attain such inner peace. Another wave of self-hate coursed over her, a feeling of disgust rising within her.

"Been yelling at your brother, then, have you?"

Haruka stiffened, and she looked away automatically. "What makes you say that?" She asked tersely.

Hanajima opened her eyes half-way and gazed at Haruka with mocking eyes. "Raya told me that Daisuke came to visit today."

Haruka bit back a hiss and drew her legs up onto the sofa, wrapping her arms around her knees. Her face was hard and she stared ahead at the floral print that adorned Temari's walls. "So what if Daisuke came? Sayuri and Suzume just wanted to see me." _What's it to you anyway? Argh!_

"Quit kidding yourself, Haruka. You've been tense all day. That little scene with Genma and his senbon needle? A little extreme for such a petty comment, even for you."

"Shut up, Hanajima. You don't know shit." Haruka clenched her knees harder, her eyes boring a hole into the sky blue walls. Her lips drew into a tight line when she felt Hanajima's judgmental stare trying to penetrate her.

"You are an idiot, Hayashi Haruka. You _have_ a mother – she's willing to be there for you. And you're too stubborn-minded to take advantage of that -- "

"Shut up, Hanajima, shut up!" Tears stung at her eyes. Trust Hanajima to know just what was grating her nerves.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You can't let go of _anything_! You cling to every memory and grudge and you lock yourself up tight so no one can get close enough to help! _'I'm Hayashi Haruka! My mom neglected me as a child and loved my sister more than me! Boo hoo, everyone feel sorry for me!_"

Haruka stood up, heart racing uncontrollably. "I'll see you tomorrow." In a quick flash of movement, Haruka disappeared from sight, a light cloud of smoke left in her wake.

Hanajima noticed that the irksome laughter in the dining room had finally ceased. Eyes slowly moving towards the previously-ecstatic pair, she was not surprised to find them staring openly at her. Temari's face looked uneasy. There was a silent rebuke in Raya's shining green eyes. Hanajima shrugged, unaffected, and closed her eyes to doze off again.

_Not my problem what they think._

* * *

Haruka felt guilty when she found herself in front of her apartment building. She shouldn't have left so suddenly – she shouldn't have even used the Body Flicker Technique to aid her in her escape. She should've stayed and talked it out with dear Hanajima.

Striding briskly towards the building, she stopped to lean against the dark wall. She wiped the tears from her face furiously, a white-hot feeling of shame building up inside her.

_What is wrong with me?_ Haruka bit her lip, vaguely aware of a throbbing pain near front of her head. She closed her eyes wearily, dreading the oncoming headache. The cool night air did little to ease the furious heat upon her skin.

Her face hardened. How _dare_ Hanajima judge her like that. She didn't understand – she didn't have a mother who pointed out every flaw in her daughter's life. She didn't have a mother who was a complete hypocrite, a complete psycho, a mother who abandoned her daughter and decided to give a damn after the funeral --

Haruka halted mid-rant, feeling a fresh flow of tears burn at her eyes. She didn't bother hiding them, letting them stream in scalding trails down her cheeks. Hate pounded a steady course in her bloodstream, filling her with a heated loathing that fueled the scorching shame within her. Her emotions were a never-ending roller coaster, climbing in an achingly slow fashion to the top, only to fall down swiftly and erratically in a pattern of tangled loops and drops. Haruka hated it, and she hated herself for being so emotionally unstable.

Hanajima's biting words had struck her hard. Part of her knew it was true – she always had blamed her mother and she was never able to truly let go. But Hanajima couldn't understand it all... She couldn't understand the betrayal Haruka had begun to feel when she was younger.

Sucking in a deep breath, Haruka entered the building, climbing up the stairs towards her apartment, all the while plagued by thoughts and memories. Her childhood hadn't been unpleasant. It had been quite joyful, actually, but when Haruka looked back, she could see the signs of her family's eventual ruin. It had all begun when Haruka had adamantly demanded to attend the Ninja Academy. Had her parents been watchful of their boisterous child, they would've seen a young_kunoichi_ in-the-making, a rough child who was surprisingly soft when it came to taking care of others. Her father, Hayashi Kohaku, though worried for his daughter's safety, had supported her decision to enroll, but it was Hayashi Kimiko who had stubbornly refused to see her daughter become a _kunoichi_.

"_Kunoichi are improper ladies! You will _not_ attend the Academy! I refuse to have a daughter whose virtue is thrown around carelessly, even if for the 'sake of the Village'!"_

Haruka had been six at the time. She hadn't understood her mother's loathing for the shinobi. None the less, Haruka continued to pursue her dream of becoming a _kunoichi_, even if it meant in secret. Her sister had covered for her, making up stories to keep Haruka out of trouble. Haruka already had enough on her plate at the time, having been endlessly taunted and slighted by her tiny appearance. _"You can't become a shinobi," _they would laugh at her._"You're too small, too weak!"_ Her lack of strength only made her push harder to become a shinobi. Her parents had been respectable tailors, and they were often irritated to find the holes and tears in her clothes. Haruka smiled slightly to herself as she unlocked her door and entered her apartment. She used to train with her mother's pins as a child.

Kicking her door shut, she crept into her dark room and flopped onto her warm bed, proceeding to sprawl out until her petite body was spread all over mattress. It wasn't that Haruka hated her mother. Her lips twisted wryly at the thought. She loved her mother unconditionally. She hated what her mother had become, in the recent years.

Twisting around, she buried her face into her pillow, inhaling the warm scent deeply. Kimiko had tried everything in her power to keep her from becoming a shinobi. It went as far as locking her in her room and keeping her from the outside world. Her father had hated this act, and Haruka remembered how often they had fought because of her. Her mother only had eyes for her eldest daughter, Miyako. She had been the perfect one, the one who obeyed her parents and never talked back, not like her hot-tempered younger sister. Miyako had been the beautiful one, with the porcelain, flawless skin and the bright, hazel eyes. She had been the one with the adorable auburn-colored curls, the one who had taken after her mother. Her mother often asked Haruka why she couldn't be more like Miyako, and though it was times like those that jealousy burned within her, Haruka had never detested her. She had always looked up to her and she adored her and Haruka had often wished she was as elegant and as beautiful and as gentle as her sister.

She was the opposite of Miyako in almost every way. Where Miyako was patient, Haruka was impatient. Where Miyako was openly kind and warm, Haruka hid her softness and kindness with icy anger. Kimiko never ceased to tell her how much she wished she would be like Miyako.

That was until Miyako told her she was pregnant.

Haruka's face contorted with pain. The hot tears were renewed in her eyes. Haruka had been fourteen years old at the time. Kimiko had been furious. She had screamed and shouted about the family name and honor and how her virtue and innocence was forever ruined, forever tainted. She had screamed until her voice died and Miyako, sobbing uncontrollably, was thrown out of the home forever.

That was when Haruka's life had started to spiral downwards. Her savior, her greatest protector against her mother, was gone. Hayashi Kimiko forbade her daughter from speaking to Miyako, especially in public, but Haruka did not listen. Miyako had tried to see the father of her child, but he refused to speak to her or to even be seen with her. Haruka's hate for men had been born the day Miyako told her she would be raising the baby on her own. This idea had been devastating to Haruka, who could not imagine her timid older sister taking on a child all on her own. Miyako was determined though.

When Haruka had not been visiting her older sister, she was being endlessly pestered by her mother, who did everything she could to keep her from going on missions. Haruka had just graduated from the Academy, a full-fledged _genin_! Haruka had been ecstatic – she had finally achieved her life-long dream, she was finally able to throw her _hitaite_ into the faces of all who had told her that she would never make it! And she would begin with her mother, who she fought to set straight. Kimiko finally backed down, but she did not stop her attempts to transform Haruka into a proper young lady.

It was times like these that Haruka would purposely flaunt her wild side, especially when her traditional mother was with her conservative friends. She relished the astonished looks upon their faces, the way they whispered,_"Scandalous!"_ when she sashayed by them, clad in fitted shorts and a tank-top, drenched in sweat from training, her tousled hair hanging wild and free. She remembered letting a little bra peek out, just to hear them bombard her mother with accusations and questions about her virginity.

Haruka let out a laugh at that final thought, glad to find something amusing in her past. But it wasn't all fun and games, she remembered. Her sister's pregnancy had flown by and she had the child. Miyako and Haruka had fought over what to name the child, but when both saw the little girl, they seemed to be traveling along the same brain wave. She was called Sayuri, and Haruka had loved her like a daughter the moment she saw her. All the while, though, their mother refused to speak to Kimiko. She refused to recognize Sayuri as her granddaughter.

Childbirth had left Miyako greatly weakened. She was tired and Haruka knew she was depressed. It still came as a shock, though, when Haruka had learned of her sister's death from Daisuke. She had just returned from training when Daisuke had called her desperately, his voice wrought with grief. Haruka's lips began to quiver as she remembered, her heart swelling painfully.

"_Haruka... Miyako-san... She's... She died this morning..."_

Haruka had just turned fifteen. No one could comfort her. She had lost her closest friend, her beloved sister. Not even Raya could console her during this time. Haruka had turned to her father during this time, forgetting the many times he had succumbed to his overpowering wife's will and left her open to scoldings and taunts. Her relationship with her father became a dear one to her, though. Haruka realized now that she had been trying to replace the friendship she had lost with her sister.

It wasn't until after Miyako's death that her dear mother Kimiko sought to be a part of Sayuri's life. She openly mourned the loss of her beloved daughter, whom she claimed had lost her wits in grief when she 'left home'. Daisuke and his wife had taken in little Sayuri, whose father refused to recognize her as his own. It was Kimiko's steady flow of lies that had finally cracked Haruka, and in a horrible fight, Haruka ran away from home to live with Daisuke until she could afford her own place.

She flipped onto her back and stared up at the darkened ceiling. Her head ached a fright. In a desperate attempt to alleviate the pain, she pulled her hair out of the braid that confined it, letting the dark strands fan out in thick waves. She massaged the back of her head gently, closing her eyes and wishing she could attain Hanajima's inner peace and serenity.

The faint chirping of crickets outdoors lilted in the air harmoniously, filling her with a calm she desperately sought, a calm that served to soothe the scalding anger she felt towards her mother. Haruka did not hate her mother. She loved her.

But her caustic remarks from hours earlier made her wish desperately that she hated her.

"_You killed him! You caused him so much stress with your stubborn need to become a kunoichi! You and your rebelliousness killed him! My husband is gone because of you!"_

Haruka's eyes were dried out. No more tears would fall. She turned on her side, gazing somberly at the wall before her. Sketches and paintings were hung in a haphazard fashion on the wall, some scattered across the floor with her paintbrushes and pens. One painting jumped out at her, a painting of a beaming man with dark eyes that twinkled. A grave smile adorned her mouth, wry edges twisting in irony.

_It's funny, Oka-san, because I think the same thing every night._

Her mouth fell into a hard line. Every night she played the blame game with herself. She didn't care, honestly. Deep down, she felt she was responsible for her father's death. It was stress that had caused his heart attack, and her and her mother's constant bickering did not alleviate stress. Sighing aloud, Haruka closed her eyes, struggling to think of something other than her family.

Kakashi instantly popped up in her mind. A scowl found it's way upon her face. He wasn't the sort of distraction she needed in her mind right now. His sudden appearance in her life was stressful, and stress was the last thing she needed in her life now, unless she wanted to end up like her father. Saddled down with extra shifts at the hospital and learning new medical jutsu from her teacher, Haruka was near dead. Hanajima constantly reminded Haruka of that, marveling at her friend's survival. And now there was Kakashi, the man she had randomly remembered and who had randomly shown up in her life. She herself did not understand why she hated him so much. Her scowl faded into a frown, her brows creased as she fell deep in thought. A day and a half. She had known the man _a day and a half_. She was sure there was more than just a petty grudge in there, in her stupid, fickle emotions. Something about Kakashi was so unpleasant, so revolting, so warm and curious...

Haruka's eyes flew open. _Whoa. Where'd that come from?_

Kakashi was a despicable man, a pervert who read raunchy adult novels and would not stop staring at her. She hated it. It was like he was trying to assess her, analyze her, understand her. Haruka did not need random people she had just met trying to understand her (in this case, random people being a certain person who Life had coincidentally put on the same team on her). She liked to fool herself into thinking that she was a very complex and unique being that others were incapable of understanding. Of course, she wasn't, and deep down, she was very much aware of it.

None the less... why did he have to stare? He didn't stare at anyone else. Haruka felt a chill creep down her spine, an electrifying thrill that stimulated her senses as she remembered his smoldering eye..._Smoldering? When did his stupid eye become smoldering?_

But there was no other word for it. No other _better_ word for it. That dark blue eye had penetrated her defenses, leaving her open and vulnerable. And all in a few seconds, a few minutes. That little moment of sanity she had experienced with him had been enjoyable... Pleasant, even. Those few minutes she had shared with him had provided an insight into his character (a character that she did not know all that well) that was different. She was pretty sure that not many knew his character well. He was a guarded man who she guessed kept his personal life pretty impersonal.

Haruka halted her rambling thoughts, her face falling into an expression of utter hopelessness. There was shock in her dark eyes, shock of a revelation that had suddenly hit her.

She was irrevocably attracted to Kakashi.

_Shit. That explains a lot._

* * *

Kakashi stared up at the ceiling, not feeling sleepy at all. His mind was ablaze with running thoughts. He knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep until he sorted through the hopeless muck of his mind. And yes, his thoughts were muck, because the majority of them were utterly, utterly dirty. No effort he made to cleanse them succeeded.

He pulled the sheets past his chin, covering his masked grimace. His _hitaite_lay on the nightstand beside the bed, a long sweep of silver hair hiding the whirring _sharingan_ from view. The night was cool, but there was still a definite warmth too it. Kakashi found it to be a rather pleasant change to much brisker nights of Konoha. Part of him just wanted to strip naked and be done with the warmth, but he was loathe to remove his mask. It was like a second layer of skin to him.

Frowning, he stretched his arms back behind his head. His thoughts were running away again. He hid a sigh, closing his eyes irritably. The same thoughts, all fucking day. He hated Genma. Horribly. Especially now that he disturbed the peace of the night with his lovely new friend next door. Kakashi let out a sigh and remained still.

The dinner had been... What was the word? Oh. _Disastrous_. A low chuckle escaped him. Genma really was an idiot. Trust him to push the buttons of a certain medic-nin _too_ far. And that Raya – was she _really_ a shinobi? Kakashi's eyebrow furrowed in confusion, marveling at how such a dense girl had ever become a shinobi. Kankuro was Genma reincarnated in the body of a seventeen year old. And Hanajima? The young woman was downright creepy.

Kakashi could count the possible mishaps on his fingers – if he had about twelve pairs of hands. Their teams were just too ill-suited for each other. There had already been countless explosions and fits, not to mention Haruka's near murder of Genma. Hanajima would probably be so emotionless she wouldn't bother saving a comrade. Raya would probably fall flat on her face and wonder how it happened. Kankuro would make the mistake of flirting with any female enemies. And Haruka would probably kill them all, somehow, with a single senbon needle. That, or she would be so hateful of him, Kakashi, that she would jeopardize their mission.

That being said, Kakashi was once again thinking that the program between Suna and Konoha was utterly futile. But it had been highly amusing though.

Kakashi heaved a sigh, his thoughts turning towards Haruka, as they had been most of the day. She was so familiar to him yet so.. unfamiliar. He had seen her face before, he was sure of it. Actually, he wasn't, but he felt like he had seen that face before. He frowned, unable to put his finger on it. He'd have to ask her, as she seemed to recognize him from somewhere. Her recognition of him was probably accompanied by a memory that could possibly be the source of her immense hatred.

Somehow, though, he felt her hatred was just a cover._Well, duh,_ said his mind, a tad too sarcastic. He hadn't forgotten that intense gaze so quickly. He knew she felt _something_ other than hatred towards him, and he was pretty sure it was attraction. Part of him wished he hadn't quelled the moment so quickly though, wondering how far it would've gotten._ Not too far._ They had been in front of the restaurant, for goodness sake. But he knew he couldn't have things drift _that_ far with her. It was better to be strictly business, and he was relatively sure that she felt the same.

All the same though, she was intriguing to watch, not to mention positively amusing. There was more to it though. Her humor, her fury, her vehement remarks, were all a shield, a mask she used to hide how she really felt. She tried too hard to enshroud her cute self in a tough facade. She seemed much more meek inside, so much more uncertain deep down. He noticed it in her eyes at erratic moments. Her face was extremely expressive, too, but she scowled and pouted way too much. Her smile was so much nicer looking.

But that pout was just downright adorable.

Kakashi groaned audibly, irritation seeping into his bones. That stupid word had popped up in mind way too much that day. Stupid word. Stupid Haruka.

No, not stupid Haruka. She was too adorable --

Kakashi felt that familiar disgust rise up inside him. He was ten years her senior. Ten years. At the age of twenty-nine, Kakashi personally felt that a nineteen year old girl was way too young for him. He was pretty sure she felt the same way – what kind of respectable girl wanted an older man looking at her?

_She's hardly a girl._

Kakashi gritted his teeth, trying to suppress her image from rising to the forefront of his mind. His attempt failed abysmally. Her warm smile greeted his mind's eye, her alluring, dark eyes captivating him. He could see the light freckles on the slope of her nose, just barely noticeable to the attentive eye. And her long, thick hair. That brief glimpse of it cascading down to the small of her back had been mesmerizing, the way it swayed and curled. But she had tied it up quickly, pulling it into that messy braid it seemed to be always in. And she let her long bangs hide her hypnotic eyes as well.

He drew in a sharp breath, reminding himself that it would not do to fall for anyone during his stay in Suna. Genma seemed not to care, judging by the rhythmic sounds next door. Then again, 'one-night stands' didn't generally fall under the category of 'falling for someone'. Kakashi scowled, pulling his pillow out from under his head and over his face to block out the unwanted sounds.

Haruka was still in his mind. _Still._

Kakashi hissed, his face drawn into an expression of irritation and self-loathing. But she was so surprisingly voluptuous for someone so petite, and she wasn't one of the stick-thin types. She had curves and she enjoyed flaunting them, he could tell, by the fitted leggings and form-fitting shirts she had worn the past two days. He was an old pervert for thinking about her in such a way...

Knowing he was heading for disaster, Kakashi flipped onto his stomach and smashed his face against the thin, white sheets. Haruka _was_ disaster. He couldn't fantasize about her, not while he was in Suna. Missions would be too awkward if he decided to act upon bestial instincts and ravish the poor girl to death.

Ravish..._Ugh. I am disgusting._

He liked to think he was a handsome man, but it might have just been the over-inflated ego within him. He was without doubts when it came to the opposite sex, knowing he could get just about any girl. He didn't want to seem arrogant and self-absorbed, but it was true. Kakashi was too mysterious and – dare he say it – too _sexy_ to go by unnoticed.

A sly smile tugged at his hidden mouth. He had no doubts when it came to his looks, his charm, his enigmatic personality.

_Why the hell am I even thinking about all this?_ Pale brows furrowed, searching for an answer.

_Oh. Haruka._ Damn. The girl – no, _woman_ – was already messing around with his head. _Without even knowing it_. He was utterly screwed. Or so he wished.

His face deadpanned at that last thought. He was becoming just like Genma. That was_ not_ reassuring. There was something horribly wrong with him. Especially now that he was trying to imagine her in that sexy nurse's outfit.

_Shiiiiit..._

* * *

The next day dawned bright and early for Haruka, which was downright horrible for the poor person that had woken her up.

" I'm s-sorry! The Kazekage ordered me too!" sobbed the wretched _chuunin_ pathetically. Haruka glared at him through her thick fringe of bangs and knelt down, removing her poorly-thrown senbon needles from his arm.

"Get the fuck out, you little ass-wipe!"

The_ chuunin_ darted away, disappearing over the roof of a distant building. Haruka's glare deepened and she turned around, entering her apartment building once more. Clad in last night's clothes, she staggered upstairs tiredly and stumbled through her ajar door.

_A mission. Great. With Kakashi, no doubt._ Haruka's face fell, her heart both plummeting and racing uncontrollably. A traitorous part of her was slightly exhilarated, almost eager to be around him. It was overshadowed by her irritation towards him, fueled by her inability to forgive his jibes at her from the past.

_Fuck. I'm a frickin' roller coaster ride of shitty emotions._

Sighing aloud, she stumbled towards her bathroom to ready herself to meet the Kazekage for the briefing. _Gaara knew it'd piss me off to meet this fucking early. What time is it?_ Her eyes darted towards the digital clock on her nightstand, clearly visible from her bathroom. _Six o' frickin' clock? What the hell!_

She dressed in a flash, pulling on a generic, long-sleeved shirt of dark green and her customary black leggings. The mission had to be serious if Gaara was summoning them so damn early, so she decided not to risk wearing her usual vividly-colored yukata-top. Messily re-braiding her hair, she tossed the plait over her shoulder and exited through her window, pulling on a pair of custom gloves.

The journey to the Kazekage's office was a short one and Haruka found herself there a few minutes later. She vaulted her small body expertly through the open window and landed rudely on the hardwood floor.

Gaara glared at her, pale green eyes irked. "Why can't you use the door like a normal person, Haruka-san?"

She shrugged, looking away with an air of indifference. "Everyone knows windows are more fun."

He rolled his eyes, glancing away from her, towards the window she had just entered through. "You are the first one here, for once. Early night?"

She shrugged again, not wanting to disclose her personal life to Gaara. Not that he really cared, anyway. She leaned back against the side of the window, eyes darting towards the cerise-haired _jinchuuriki_.

"What's this mission about, Gaara-sama?" She asked, her voice pure business now. Gaara pursed his lips. Haruka noted the harried look in his eyes and frowned slightly.

"Let's wait for the others to arrive. I don't much feel like repeating myself."

Haruka nodded, letting her gaze fall to the floor. After a few moments, she felt Gaara's gaze on her, his questioning gaze. She peered up at him through her bangs, an eyebrow raised curiously.

Gaara shook his head slightly, his shaggy hair dancing in the light breeze that filtered through the window. The singsong chirp of the boisterous birds outside were infectious. Haruka felt her heart lift slightly at the melodic, peaceful sounds. A light smile tugged at her lips.

Someone was approaching. Haruka's smile faded into a face of indifference when she recognized the chakra signature. The door swung open, the hinges creaking in protest.

"Good morning, Hanajima-san."

"What's to say this is a good morning, Kazekage-sama?" Hanajima's plain voice cut through the melodious sound of the birds like a knife. Haruka felt the rising urge to throttle her friend. She remained silent.

Gaara seemed nonplussed by her bland remark and he fell quiet, unable to reply. Hanajima strode through the threshold and addressed Haruka without looking at her.

"That was incredibly rude of you last night, Ha-san."

Haruka looked away from the blunt blonde, eyes gazing out the window. The purple sky was lightening slowly, a few ominous clouds moving far into the horizon. Her face became tranquil.

"Hanajima, let's not involve personal affairs with our mission."

Hanajima nodded, already disinterested. "If you say so, Ha-san," she murmured quietly. She strode briskly towards the opposite end of the spherical room, leaning against the wall. An array of weapons hung on her person, from a sickle attached to a strong chain to her new sword strapped on her back. Haruka rolled her eyes as she pulled out a custom kunai, wiping it clean with the hem of her kimono-style dress.

A few more minutes passed by in silence, save for the harmonious song of the peaceful birds. Haruka closed her eyes, falling into a reverie that was promptly disturbed by a ruckus climbing up the stairs.

"Naruto, you can't say that to the Kazekage!"

"Who says I can't? I know Gaara just as well as any other person here! I have a great relationship with the guy, absolutely wonderful!"

"You're starting to sound gay, Naruto."

The door swung open a second time, and three pairs of feet of varying sizes crossed the entrance. Haruka opened her eyes, assessing the images of an exasperated Sakura, an overexcited Naruto, and an unwanted Genma. He had the audacity to wink at her as he entered, swiveling his senbon needle in a suggestive flourish with his tongue. Haruka feigned sickness, her nose wrinkling with disgust. He merely laughed.

_Bastard,_ she thought resentfully.

"Good morning, Gaara-sama," said Sakura, a smile evident on her bright features. Gaara smiled back, albeit tensely. Haruka's eyes narrowed, watching Gaara closely as Naruto proceeded to talk loudly.

His voice drowned out the ringing steps that echoed in the staircase, but Haruka was attuned to Raya's chakra. Sensing her presence, she glanced towards the door. It slammed open, a harried Raya panting for air. There was a light sheen of sweat on her brow. Kankuro's brightly painted face poked through the door behind her. He entered wordlessly. Haruka suddenly wondered how he had painted his face so quickly on such short notice.

_Freak,_ she thought scathingly.

"So sorry.. I'm.. late," Raya gasped, emerald eyes half-closed from the exertion of running to the Kazekage's office. Gaara nodded at her kindly. Raya's flushed face burned even darker.

"Yo."

Haruka jumped, clutching her chest desperately. Her heart raced uncontrollably, a rumbling chuckle sounding behind her. A shiver ran down her spine as sandalwood filled her senses.

She whirled around, eyes wide as they landed on Kakashi's body, perched unwaveringly on the window sill. "What was that for!?" she cried, heart still pounding insanely. The corners of his masked mouth pulled up into what she took for a grin. She glared at him.

"Couldn't resist." His usually bored eye was filled with amusement as he looked her over. "Shouldn't you have detected my presence?"

Her glare deepened. A myriad of swears danced in loving patterns in her mind. "I didn't expect anyone else to enter through the window," she muttered lamely, cranky eyes turning towards Gaara. She could feel Kakashi's contemplative gaze upon her face.

"That's everyone.. good." All eyes turned towards Gaara, whose face was openly grave now. Haruka struggled to calm her swift heartbeat and to ignore Kakashi's impenetrable stare. She was relieved when she saw that, out of the corner of her eye, his gaze moved towards Gaara.

Gaara's voice was low, but it carried well throughout the spacious room. Everyone was silent, suddenly tense by the apprehensive note that lined the Kazekage's voice.

"There has been talk of a radical organization by the name Satori with ill intentions towards the five main villages. I trust you've heard of them? The group is relatively new, but it's members wield lethal skills that can threaten the welfare of our villages.

A scroll was taken two and a half hours ago from our archives. It's value is mediocre at best, but Intelligence tells me that the culprit was a highly-skilled missing-nin. He left the mark of Satori behind, the image of a lotus scorched into the wall. The confusing part is the contents of the scroll – it merely contains statistics and information on the main villages. That, I believe, is also the crucial part. This missing-nin was either a strategist or he was working for one. Retrieving the scroll is not enough – he must be taken in."

"Wouldn't this be a job for ANBU?" Genma's voice cut the silence that followed. His brown eyes were narrowed, all traces of humor and jokes eradicated from his face.

Gaara looked at him, his face impassive. "The situation is not desperate enough to call upon ANBU. They'd probably be more efficient in bringing him back, but I can't string together a team, last minute, to retrieve a missing-nin who stole statistics on the villages. It's too costly."

Genma rolled his eyes, his senbon needle moving up in the air. "So we get the grunt work..."

Raya shot Genma an irritated glare. Slowly turning her eyes back to Gaara, she donned a serious expression. "How do we know he hasn't reached his destination yet? If it's been two hours, he could already be wherever he's supposed to be."

"Intelligence reports that he was from Mist but was dressed as a native from Earth Country."

No one said anything for a few moments, but Haruka could practically hear everyone's minds whirring. A thought suddenly occurred to her and she frowned.

"So you're sending a team of _eight_ to retrieve _one_ missing-nin with _one_scroll?" Haruka's voice was wry, twisted with sarcasm.

The occupants of the room stirred slightly, recognizing Haruka's hostile tone. Those who knew her could feel the sharp irritation seeping from her voice. Those who didn't were merely intrigued as to why she spoke so rudely to the Kazekage.

Gaara looked at her sternly, pale eyes narrowing in a warning manner.

"Haruka, I would've imagined you of all people to understand the situation the most. His skills are powerful – he wouldn't leave just one trail hanging for us to follow. He's using decoys, clones, whatever weapons he has in his extensive arsenal. It'd be wise if you split up into smaller teams, as it's hard to know which decoy is the real one." Gaara's eyes darted behind Haruka, towards the masked shinobi behind her.

"Kakashi will be the team leader. He'll decide how the teams are formed."

Naruto frowned, blue eyes narrowing. "Why's Kakashi-sensei the team leader?" His loud voice reverberated against the clay walls. Sakura promptly smacked across the top of his head.

"You_ baka!_ You're so rude!"

Gaara shook his head in a nearly imperceptive fashion, eyes darting from Naruto back to Kakashi. His lips were pulled into a tight line. "It's imperative that you leave swiftly," he said in his quite and tense voice, a tone of finality lingering heavily in the air. There were nods about the room, murmured, _"Hai"_s, and a second later the room was empty.

* * *

"Fifteen minutes, near the the cliffs by the entrance."

Hanajima was coming to the conclusion that Kakashi was a man of few words. Not allowing herself the slightest roll of the eyes, she started off after the blur she knew was the midget Haruka.

"Quit following me." Her biting voice was barely heard before it was snatched away by a sudden wind. Hanajima sighed, matching Haruka's speed. The named _kunoichi_ glanced at her, surprised by this rare glimpse of emotion.

"Don't make me apologize, Haruka," she murmured, eyes staring straight ahead. Haruka made a face, knowing it was too good to be true.

"Fine, I won't, but shouldn't you be heading towards _your_ apartment?"

"I'm always ready for a mission. So I thought I'd follow you around, since you'd probably be the busiest," she said, that same matter-of-fact voice grating against Haruka's nerves, as usual. Hanajima resisted the urge to grin when she saw the big, fake smile on Haruka's face.

Haruka jumped, landing on the sill of her bedroom window, the epitome of grace and elegance. Straightening up, she proceeded to trip and landed flat on her face.

"Shit!"

"Wow, Haruka, are you really a shinobi?" Hanajima landed on the sill. Haruka twisted around to look up at her friend, a scowl readying on her lips. _Hanajima_ was the epitome of grace and elegance. A familiar surge of envy and Haruka was on her feet, back towards her friend as she snatched her medical kit from her white dresser.

Hanajima's eyes traveled along the walls, taking in everything. She had known Haruka for.. what was it? Six years now? In the time she had known her, Haruka had changed her apartment at least fifteen times. Be it a small change or a big change, Haruka was never content to leaving things the same for too long. She relished change, Hanajima realized. Currently, the walls were vivid red, looking similar to the crimson flow of blood from a fresh wound. Hanajima couldn't stomach the smell of blood, but Haruka seemed to relish it.

"Painting your walls again already, Ha-san?"

Haruka looked up from her pack, in which she was stowing away some herbs and vials. "What?"

She gestured towards the walls. "You're artwork... Why's only half of it hanging?" Hanajima moved through the window all the way, fully entering the room now. She strode towards the wall, eyes narrowed. Haruka followed her gaze, biting her bottom lip.

"Those? Well.. um.. Just thought I'd clean up a little. Been growing sick of seeing the same pictures over and over."

"Ah.. I see." Hanajima nodded her head, not dumb enough to fall for Haruka's pathetic excuse. Her eyes fell towards a half-empty box, quickly recognizing a painting of Haruka's esteemed father. Twinkling eyes gazed back at her, filled with the life Haruka had artfully captured years ago. She glanced back at the wall, suddenly aware that all the pictures she usually had, pertaining towards her family and friends, were gone. All that stared back were somber images of scenery and still lifes.

"Hanajima? Can you give a message to Manami-san for me?"

_Manami-san? Again? _She swiftly turned her back on the wall, and looked towards Haruka, hiding the scowl that yearned to be seen.

"You're still covering for her? _Still?_ Didn't we have this same conversation _yesterday?_" Her voice was incredulous.

Haruka cast her a glance that combined both irritation and surprise – an odd combination that left her appearing both confused and exasperated. Gritting her teeth, she drew in a sharp breath. "Yes, Hanajima, I am still covering for her. Don't you dare say anything about it. Manami-san needs my help." A weary look entered her eye dark brown eyes.

Hanajima's voice was flat when she spoke. "Haruka, you only feel the need to help her because she's a single mom."

Haruka's eyes were sharp as daggers. "Don't you dare, Hanajima," she whispered warningly. Despite her sudden iciness towards her, Haruka was unable to look Hanajima in the eye. "Please just go and tell her I won't be able to cover her shift today."

Hanajima was filled with a sudden anger that was directed towards Haruka and her inability to stand up against the mysterious Manami-san. Hanajima had never met the medic-nin; all she knew was that she had worked and studied with Haruka under the illustrious Akemi-sama, one of the most prized medic-nins in Sunagakure. She was aware of her life as a single parent, and as Hanajima was also well-aware of Haruka's past, she felt her friend's need to help Manami was a way for her to make up for the shortcomings she had with her late sister. Pursing her lips in a tight line, Hanajima quenched the anger and nodded her head resignedly.

"I'll tell her. See you in about ten minutes."

Haruka returned the nod, releasing the breath she had been holding only after Hanajima was gone. Falling back, she slumped against the scarlet wall, extremely aware of how close she had come to suffering Hanajima's wrath. People always asked her what she saw in Hanajima's bland and inconsiderate character, and oftentimes, Haruka was at a loss for words as to how to reply. Haruka always did have a problem wording things, but deep in her heart she knew why she was friends with the icy-eyed female. Hanajima cared for her, she knew it, and though she didn't know how to show it, Haruka was aware of just how much Hanajima was capable of feeling. But she knew Hanajima's character well, and she knew of her shady past, and so she put up with her cool and uncaring antics. Hanajima refused to let herself feel, or she tried.

_She controls her emotions so well. It's such a pity that such an incident should occur in her past... especially due to a kekkei genkai she didn't know how to control..._

Haruka shook her head. She didn't like thinking about Hanajima's past. In some odd way, she felt like she was betraying her friend's trust. Hanajima did not bring up memories, because memories would cause her to _feel_. The last thing Hanajima needed was to feel. Shuddering, Haruka pushed her thoughts away, hastily stowing an extra pair of her gloves in her small pack.

She glanced towards her closet, noticing the dusty _jounin_ vest she had never used. She always favored her yukata-style tops because of the comfort and flexibility, and not to mention they were much fashionable then the horrid beige vests. A warm blush painted her cheeks and she felt slightly embarrassed with herself. Hanajima would tell her that fashion was useless on the battle field.

_Well, she's right._ Mouth twisting wryly, she opened a drawer in her dresser, pulling out a heavy, ornate ring. She attached to the end of her braid, satisfied by the evident weight it added. She could hear Hanajima's voice again, weighing the pros and cons of such an ornament. _"You have long-range attacks, Haruka. How's a stupid weight going to help you in close-range combat?"_

"Well, no one asked for your opinion," she muttered under her breath as she grabbed her kunai holster, strapping it around her right thigh. She snatched her _hitaite_, gleaming save for a few scratches and gouges in the metal plate. Tying this just above the kunai holster, she straightened up and slung her pack over her shoulder.

_This should be an exciting mission,_ she thought. Her eyes said likewise.

* * *

"Each of us from Konoha will be paired with someone from Suna according to ability, to maximize speed and efficiency. Raya, you'll be with Genma and you'll be following this route." Kakashi's finger followed a path marked green upon a less-than-elaborate map.

The eight stood in a cramped clearing. Three hours had changed the harsh desert to a rockier terrain that unleashed a lush, emerald forest. All was silent, even the birds. Not a creature moved, not a breeze stirred, and all were tense and slightly apprehensive. Raya nodded swiftly as she readied her radio, setting it to a secure channel. Her smooth face was strictly business, but Kakashi was sure he saw some disappointment in her honest eyes. Genma, on the other hand, looked ecstatic to be paired with the glamorous _kunoichi_.

Kakashi allowed himself a quick roll of the eyes and then fell back to business. He pointed out another trail, this one marked in red. He glanced towards the solemn-faced Naruto, quickly, refusing to meet Haruka's eye for fear of betraying some sort of unwanted emotion.

"Naruto, you and Haruka will follow this route -- "

"Kakashi-sensei? Shouldn't I be paired with Naruto?" Sakura's wide eyes met Kakashi's. He shook his head, his gaze gentle but urgent. Sakura was merely looking out for Naruto's best interest. He could understand why she wanted to be the medic-nin to travel with him.

"No, Sakura. I'm sure you'd be fine with Naruto, but I'd rather have a _jounin_-level medic-nin with him. We don't need to take any chances, especially with his impulsiveness," he said, smiling for Sakura's benefit. She returned the smile, albeit slightly disappointed. Naruto though, cried out with a loud, "Hey!"

"Shut up, _baka!_" Sakure smacked him upside the head, forgetting her previous worry.

Naruto rubbed his head gingerly, pouting. A second later though, he adopted a firm expression, a look of determination set in his bright, blue eyes. Haruka cast him a side-long glance with an expression of utter distaste. Kakashi had to resist the urge to laugh out loud at her apparent dislike towards the bubbly blonde. He covered up this near slip of his emotions by donning a grave expression in his eye.

"You'll be taking this route." He pointed out the trail, tossing a map towards Haruka, trying his hardest not to think about how her fitted shirt hugged her curves. Catching it with a deft hand, she frowned at him curiously and tucked it away in her pack.

"Sakura, you'll be traveling with Kankuro." He didn't miss the sudden gleam of irritation in his former student's eyes. He felt a sudden surge of pity for Kankuro, who was sure to inflict his perversion upon her. The named shinobi cast Sakura a sly glance. She flashed him a dark glare, a gray cloud seemingly thundering over her pink-haired head.

Raising a brow, Kakashi tossed them a map also. "Your route's marked there already," he stated casually. He turned around to face the last_kunoichi_.

A sheet of bangs half-veiling her eyes from view, Hanajima stared at Kakashi evenly. She was tense, apprehensive. Kakashi was vaguely aware of her fingers anxiously tapping at the chained sickle at her side. Her pale lips were pursed.

"I'm with you then, I suppose." It wasn't a question, but a statement. Kakashi nodded his head, hiding his discomfort with surprising ease._Creepy girl_, he thought as he unrolled the last map. He pointed out their route, marked in blue. Hanajima glanced over it swiftly, acknowledging the path with a single blink and a twitch of the mouth. Kakashi nodded his head, comfortable in his role of authority but uncomfortable with this vacant _kunoichi_.

"I'm sure you know what to do..." There was a note of finality in his voice, encouragement towards his comrades laced deep within. With silent affirmations, the pairs fled the clearing swiftly. He turned to Hanajima, hiding a frown.

_This should be interesting_, he thought dully. His eye creased in a false sort of happiness. "Let's go."

They set off at an easy pace, weaving past thick trunks and gnarled branches that sought to trip them. The silence between them was more than slightly awkward, filled with tension and uncertainty. There was an ominous rumble in the distance that startled the oddly silent creatures of the forest. He had a feeling it was going to rain. He didn't really care for the rain, but he didn't hate it either. It was just _there_. It might put a damper on the mission, perhaps complicate things a bit. It could possibly end up working in their favor, but he was rather doubtful that it would occur in the current scenario. Suppressing a sigh, he turned his mind towards the mission at hand. Or so he tried.

Form-fitting outfits should be banned, he decided in a sudden fit of frustration. It was... distracting. Had he been the whining-type of shinobi who complained over every little thing, he might've lodged a complaint against sexy women in the shinobi business. But he wasn't, and so he was forced to suffer whilst surrounded by spunky _kunoichi_ who flaunted their delicious curves in an adamant fashion. Not that he hated it. It was quite lovely, really. Just distracting. He frowned to himself, avoiding a branch swiftly.

Maybe it wasn't _all__kunoichi_ who were distracting. Only a few. Or, perhaps, only one. He had to resist the urge to scowl in a very Haruka-like fashion. Her unknowing influence over him was extremely irksome. Especially since she apparently disliked him. Apparently, but he saw through her guise. He was pretty sure she was as entranced with him as he was with her. Which. According to his current thinking, was not a good thing. She was young – she didn't need to fall for an old man like him. The livelier part of him scoffed at that idea, pointing out her beauty, a beauty that he couldn't ignore. Just when he thought it was all under control, too. He had been _relieved_ to find she was covering up more skin that morning, but a closer inspection had revealed the snugness of the dark green top. And her leggings... Kakashi buried a moan that had risen in his throat. Every curve, every smooth line became more pronounced and defined by the fitted, black fabric.

_I am a dirty old man,_ he thought, his face falling pathetically.

It wasn't just her clothes, though. Her scent was intoxicating, he had discovered earlier that morning. Landing behind her on the window sill, a breeze had dared caress her golden skin. She didn't have that generic scent of strawberries or apples or even jasmine that most women vied for these days. Her scent was warm and spicy, almost like cinnamon, inviting him to breathe it in freely. He hadn't been able to resist remaining behind her, inhaling her scent for a few stolen moments.

_There is something seriously wrong with me._

He liked to think that his utter attraction towards her was more than just her looks, but he didn't know her. He had barely spoken to her in the three days he'd been in Suna. But he had deduced a few things while watching her: she was an extremely rebellious person who kept others at a reasonable distance. Her words to Naruto the night before had given him an insight into her character as well. She didn't like to be judged, and despite that, Kakashi continued to judge her, although from a distance.

_Well, then, maybe I should get to know her more..._ He was about to retort to that snide comment his mind had thrown to him, when he was was jolted from his thoughts by a crackle in his ear. Static sounded in the radio.

"We've made contact," hissed Raya's convoluted voice. He noticed a frown on Hanajima's usually-blank face. Matching her frown, he pressed the button on his radio.

"That was fast... Keep back. Is he the real or a decoy?"

There was a momentary pause and then another hiss of static sounded in his ear. "We're not sure. Impossible to tell from this distance," crackled Genma's voice.

"Keep tailing him, but stay hidden."

"What do you take me for? An idiot? Yeesh..."

Kakashi repressed a sigh, falling into a thoughtful trance. Hanajima suddenly spoke up beside him.

"There's something fishy about all this."

He glanced at her, waiting for her to continue. She stared ahead, her mouth set in a hard line. "He should've been farther by now. It's only been about half an hour, and he's had about a two hour head start. Why would he wait for us?" Her eyes hardened.

Kakashi took in her words, carefully assessing them. She was right. "He wants something."

Hanajima looked at him quickly. "What would he want?" She couldn't hide the confusion or question in her voice.

His expression was measured, his words thought out carefully before he spoke. "The stolen scroll could've been a simple way to lure one of us out." He thought swiftly, briefly thinking of each of his comrades. There was Naruto, and his wild _jinchuuriki_, and Sakura, the esteemed apprentice of the famous Tsunade, one of the legendary _Sannins_. He couldn't see what anyone could want with Genma, unless it was a husband humiliated by a cheating wife. He could think of a thousand reasons why someone would himself, but he was somehow doubtful that the situation was currently about him. Haruka might be wanted for her skills as a medic-nin, but it did not seem a plausible enough reason. That left Kankuro, Hanajima, and Raya. He didn't know enough of Hanajima or Raya to gage what anyone could want with them. And Kankuro had the potential of being a hostage, what with his relation to the Kazekage and such.

Gritting his teeth, he began to move faster. Hanajima matched his speed, fully aware that the situation had become much more serious.

"There are a number of things he could want with our group of shinobi," he muttered. He glanced sidelong at her. "We are a very interesting team, after all."

"Pity we don't know this missing-nin's identity. It would make all of this a heck of a lot easier." Hanajima gazed off, falling silent.

Kakashi gazed off as well, remaining quiet for a few moments.

"We'll keep to the original plan. Locate his original self and the original scroll. We'll have to spring any traps he lays out for us."

Hanajima nodded, and pressed slim fingers against the button on her throat, relaying the revelation and the message to the others. Kakashi continued to gaze off, caught in a sudden torrent of thoughts.

_What are you after?_

* * *

For once in his life, Naruto was silent, filled with a determination that irked Haruka to no end. His spiky hair was tousled by a strong wind that stirred about them. The light cold was further chilled by the long shadows that encompassed them as the hours fled. Haruka was silently glad she had worn a long-sleeve shirt; she was sensitive to any sign of cold.

They had not made contact with their target yet. Haruka was beginning to grow impatient; Genma and Raya had already located their target and Kankuro and Sakura were not far behind their's. So far, none of them had deduced which was the real target. And to make matters worse, the stupid decoys had been _waiting_for them, which meant they had to tread more cautiously._ What could they possibly want? Maybe he's after Kakashi's sharingan... Or Naruto's jinchuuriki. Possibly Raya too..._ Glancing up with a sigh, her face was illuminated by sporadic rays of light that filtered through the emerald canopy above. She guessed it was around five o' clock in the afternoon. That thought only furthered her grumpy mood. Where had the hours gone?

She was grateful for one thing though. The hours had provided her with plenty of time to think and she was relieved when Naruto did not seek to converse with her as well. She supposed he was slightly frightened of her now, what with her incident with Genma last night. That thought brightened her mood, albeit only slightly.

_They probably think I'm insane. Ugh. Me? Insane? Doubtful. Maybe a bit unstable..._ She pursed her lips thoughtfully. She was pretty sure Kakashi and the others had their doubts with this Suna-team they were forced to join with. Haruka scowled. _Doesn't matter, because the feeling's mutual_, she thought grimly.

That Kakashi... She was loathe to admit it, but there was something attractive in his mysterious aloofness. It didn't mean she didn't despise his behavior towards her. She was puzzled, confused. He had gone from constantly staring, assessing, to trying not to look at her. It was, simply put, completely baffling.

She could no longer deny that a part of her was inexplicably attracted to him. That thought, that concept that she could possibly like this infuriating man left her feeling utterly drained. Drained from the two halves of her heart fighting constantly about the silver-haired shinobi. There was a part of her that urged her onwards, to pursue something with him. This logical part of her mind had fought ceaselessly with the stubborn part, the part that considered Kakashi to be no good.

_Three days. Three days and he's already affecting my mind. Bastard. He's such an idiot. A sexy idiot – holy shit, what the hell am I thinking? Mission, mission, mission.. concentrate Haruka!_ She scowled to herself, glaring ahead at nothing in particular.

"Haruka-san?" Naruto's voice was rather hesitant, as if he sensed how irritated she really was. Haruka did not bother to glance at him, merely giving an acknowledging grunt.

"I'm hungry." As if to prove his claim true, his stomach emitted a heavy rumble that startled her. He looked at her, wide eyes pleading. Unable to resist the puppy-dog look in his eyes, she looked away, thinking quickly. She wrinkled her nose ponderously.

"We can't exactly stop and have a nice and dandy lunch..."

Naruto sighed aloud, knowing full well that what she said was true. She had a feeling he was thinking about instant ramen. Rolling her eyes, she ventured to smile at him kindly. "We can eat on the go, however. I didn't pack much though..." Slowing slightly, she rummaged through her pack. Naruto watched her anxiously, rubbing his abdomen in a consoling fashion.

"Er... How's a granola bar?"

Naruto nodded his head quickly, willing to eat anything to please his stomach. Chuckling to herself, she tossed him a strawberry-flavored granola bar. He swallowed it down in a heartbeat.

"S'not much, but it's better than nothing," she murmured, ripping the wrapper open and taking a slow bite herself. The pair continued onwards, picking up their speed. The silence between was less formal, now that some kind words had been exchanged. But it remained silent, and Haruka felt she was going to go insane, as she was loathe to think, because she was sure her thoughts would revolved around Kakashi. She almost wished Naruto would talk, just to break the unnerving quiet that surrounded them.

There was not a sound in the forest, save for the high-pitched whistle of the wind as it began to rise higher and higher. Though she and Naruto were less tense now, there was a feeling of anxiousness about them. Haruka began to clench and unclench her fists in a fidgety manner. Part of her wish they had remained as a large group. There was something powerful lurking the darkness and she was shameful to admit that it was a horror for her nerves.

Static hissed in her ear. "We've caught up with our target." Hanajima's words disturbed the eerie quiet.

Kankuro voiced the question she had been about to ask. "Is it a decoy?"

"Not sure yet. Hanajima and I are going in." Kakashi's plaintive voice somehow soothed Haruka's nerves. She let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding.

Naruto heaved a sigh, his irritation seeping into the air around him. "We're nowhere near our target, are we?"

A resounding crack echoed in the distance. Haruka's eyes widened for a brief instant and she glanced below, into the forest. Naruto's eyes followed hers, his expression matching hers.

Heart pounding, Haruka spoke into her mic. "We've found our target," she whispered, eyes locked on the snickering figure standing below.

"You sure have, love."

* * *

Raya let out a gasp when she heard the man's voice on the radio. Genma glanced at her, his confused expression coinciding with her worried one.

She spoke into the mic, earnestly calling out her friend's name. "Haruka!"

There was no response. Every now and then three was a hiss of static, accompanied by a sound she could only deduce as kunai colliding with each other. Her frown deepened and she bit her lip worriedly. "Haruka!"

"Can't talk... think this... decoy... not sure..." Naruto's voice was warbled, cut off with the occasional gasp or grunt. Harsh laughter punctuated his choppy words.

"Haruka! Naruto!" Genma shot her a warning glance. Her voice was rising. Gritting her teeth, Raya abandoned the radio, arm swinging uselessly beside. They were situated behind a thick, unruly hedge, crouched deep in the shadows. Their target was not too far ahead, having halted for a quick break. Raya was a bit put off by his homely appearance. His coppery complexion was pock-marked, his squinting eyes almost hidden beneath a thick brow of black. His hair was dark and dry, bristled strands tied back in a restricting fashion.

"Naruto and Haruka will be fine," Genma murmured under his breath, his voice consoling. Raya nodded quickly in agreement, her gaze jumping to the shinobi beside her reluctantly. She did not want to think the worst of the current situation. _Stay safe, Haruka..._

The green in Genma's hazel eyes was more pronounced by a stray beam of sunlight lingering on his face. Raya was fingering a kunai she had pulled from her hip pouch in a twitchy manner. Genma reached over and put a hand over hers to halt her fidgeting. Nodding her head again, quickly, she tried her best to remain still.

Genma's gaze flickered towards where their target was supposed to be resting. He frowned suddenly. "Where'd he go -- " He broke off with a sharp intake of breath, whirling around.

Raya froze when she felt the sharp tip of a kunai against her back. Her muscles clenched almost painfully and she resisted the urge to scream from the stress their current predicament had brought. _He's smart. He used Haruka's and Naruto's situation against us..._

"That's good, love, keep quiet." Their target's gravely voice scraped at the air heavily. He forced Raya up, digging the kunai sharply against her back when Genma made to move also. She felt a rivulet of blood trail in a thin line down her back. Unable to see her opponent's face, she resorted to merely imagined the arrogant expression she was sure was on his face.

_Opponent? What am I thinking? Calling him an opponent means I'm equaling myself to him. And here I am, already being held captive, thus making me much less than his equal. What the hell am I good for?_

Her captor pulled her closer to him, dragging her a few yards away from Genma, who remained crouching, still behind the hedge. Raya gazed at him, her eyes wide. Her fingers twitched and she suddenly remembered the kunai she was holding in her trembling hand. Genma glanced towards her hand and shook his head just barely, warning her against using it. He moved slightly, the senbon in his mouth sitting still in his mouth.

"You there. Don't move or she gets it."

Raya would've laughed at her captor's stupid words had she not been his captive. It sounded like a corny line from the movies she, Haruka, and Hanajima liked to watch during their leisure time. Mouth twitching at the utter hilarity she felt, she continued to gaze at Genma.

Genma had a smirk on his face. Raya could see the irritation in his eyes though. It was apparent that he felt this man was no match against them. He swiveled the senbon needle around in his mouth lazily, eying their 'target' with condescension.

"Let her go or you'll regret it," Genma drawled cockily. Raya imagined her captor raising a bushy eyebrow with amusement.

"You're not in any position to make demands," he laughed. It was a harsh laugh that hurt Raya's ears.

Genma's brow quirked, his mouth twisted with amusement. "Are you quite sure about that?" And with a quick spurt of movement, he shot his senbon needle at Raya's captor.

Crying out, he made the mistake of releasing Raya to tug the needle from his throat. She didn't waste any time in darting towards Genma and the pair of them disappeared into the trees. Genma was speaking hastily into his radio, one arm needlessly gesturing Raya to follow him.

"We've found the real one. I repeat, we've found the real one!"

Kakashi's urgent voice crackled through, warbling in Raya's ear. "Hold on. We're coming."

They finally halted moving. Raya guessed that they had two minutes, maximum, before their opponent came wheeling after them. Drawing her lips in a fine line, she crouched on one leg and swiftly pulled her pack from her back. Unstrapping it, she withdrew a pair of elaborate twin blades, swathed in a thick, black cloth. It gleamed silver in the waning light, shining prettily. Her face grim, she removed the cloth and stowed it in her pack, pulling it over her shoulder again. She straightened up, readying her weapons in her hand.

Genma had pulled a kunai from his hip pouch and attaching an exploding tag to it. He caught Raya's eye and nodded minutely. They could both feel his nearing presence by his chakra signature. Swallowing hard, Raya balanced her weight evenly.

There was a soft whistle in the air. Gasping, Raya jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding an onslaught of huge shuriken. They became lodged in the trunk of the tree. Genma had leaped to a higher branch, spinning the kunai on his index finger. Raya recognized a look of casual determination in his eye.

Catching her eye again, his fingers moved in swift hand signs. _Double back around._ Nodding again, she waited for Genma to make his move.

There was a movement about thirty yards ahead. Without hesitation, Genma jumped high, his arm moving in a graceful arc. The kunai sailed unwaveringly, whirring in the air. Raya didn't wait to hear the explosion as she jumped below, relishing the feel of the cool air whispering against her bare arms. Landing with a soft thump, she found herself instantly assailed by the target.

A ringing sounded in the aftermath of the explosion. Eyes watering from the smoke, Raya dodged his blow with one arm, exhilarated when he swung a broad sword to attack her again. Leaping back, she allowed herself a satisfied smile.

_I almost forgot how much fun this could be_. She could hear Hanajima's wry voice in her head, but she quelled the words quickly.

He was on her in an instant, swinging his blade in an artful sweep. There were many disadvantages to swords of such a massive size, one being that it hindered movement. But he was giant enough to strafe from left to right, gracefully avoiding every blow she threw at him. He moved with great ease, despite the large size of his blade.

"Move back, Raya!" Genma's voice sounded in her ear piece. Glancing up quickly, her eyes widened. She jumped back rapidly, watching as a shower of kunai impaled the target. A thick cloud of dust engulfed him completely. Guarding herself, Raya crept forward slowly, eyes peeled for the target's body. As the gulf dissipated though, all she found was a wide log impaled by kunai. She frowned for a moment, then hissed when she felt the ground tremble slightly behind her.

She just barely blocked his blow. Her shorter blades protested beneath the heavy metal of his sword, but she somehow mustered enough strength to throw the larger man away with a feral growl. He laughed aloud, his small eyes alight with the thrill of their fight.

_He's toying with me_, she realized. Narrowing her eyes, she formed a quick hand seal and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. She masked her chakra and watched him from above, crouched on a thick branch.

He was still laughing, circling the ground below in a predatory way.

"Come out, come out, little one!"

Inhaling sharply, she removed one blade and stuck it in the bark firmly. Her fingers swiftly pulled three kunai from her pouch and she attached an exploding tag to one of them. Out of the corner of her, she noticed a quick movement from Genma, who landed on the bark beside her.

"We can't kill him," he murmured under his breath.

"I know." This fact aggravated her to no end.

Genma's eyes were fixed on the man below. "Any ideas?" It was clear that he relished the challenge the current situation had provided them. Raya rolled her eyes, pulling out a spool of wire from her hip pouch. Genma eyed it with dislike when she held it out to him.

"Double back around while I distract him," she said softly. She didn't know how good their opponent's hearing was.

"Do we have to use such conventional methods?" There was actually a _whine_ in his voice. She glared at him and he backed down, poorly hiding a sigh. Snatching the wire, he disappeared. Raya turned her attention back to their opponent.

The sky was darkening at a quick rate. Raya's heart was filled with a momentary happiness with the prospect of the oncoming rain. Smiling slightly to herself, she threw an untagged kunai with an eloquent sweep of the arm. Moving rapidly, she pulled her other blade free and then dropped to the ground below. She landed with a graceful thump. Without a moment's hesitation, she threw the other untagged kunai at him.

He jumped high in the air, laughing darkly as he landed on a branch a ways off. He stood, his back to the trunk of the tree.

"Where's your friend, little girl?" The words had hardly left his mouth when Genma suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He moved abruptly, circling around the man once, twice, than a third and fourth time. Before the man could fully comprehend what was happening, Genma had pulled powerfully on the wire Raya had given him. The man was forced back against the trunk of the tree with a loud crunch. A biting wind swept through the clearing, kicking up the dry dirt.

"Now, Raya!"

She didn't need to be told twice. Her face hard, she sent the tagged kunai towards the man. There was a grim satisfaction in her eyes when the explosion rang out in the cramp clearing. There was a moaning and an ominous creak echoed darkly. Several crashes sounded, clouds of thick dirt rising to mingle with the smoke.

The clouds of smog and dirt dispersed at a sluggish rate. Impatient, Raya darted forward and let out a string of curses that would've made Haruka proud.

He had disappeared yet again, a puddle of water seeping into the dirt. His laughter echoed throughout the woods. Feeling more than irritated, Raya was not consoled when the rain began to fall.

_Hurry up, Kakashi and Hanajima!_

* * *

"_We've found the real one. I repeat, we've found the real one!"_

Genma's calmly spoken words had reached them not long ago, but Haruka guessed that an hour must have passed since they had received the message. She had merely been mildly worried for her friend's safety before, but that had changed once their clone had proved to be a challenging opponent.

Gritting her teeth, she swiftly avoided an onslaught of kunai. Her eyes scoped the area, searching for the massive man and his immense blade. Her heart was pounding from the thrill of the fight, part of her exhilarated for this break from the hospital. But she could feel the fatigue settling in her bones and muscles wearily.

Landing a ways off on huge branch, she crouched, eyes still scanning the forest. He masked his chakra so well, that Haruka was having a hard time locating him. Her vision was impaired by the pouring rain and the heavy gusts of wind had effectively taken away her hearing as well. He was a bulky man, with thick, rippling muscles, and his footsteps would leave some sort of tremble in the earth, but she still could not find him, lest he attacked. She was not intimidated though. She had fought men like him many times before and she was pretty sure she could handle things.

_But not for long_, she thought wearily, massaging the back of her neck for a moment. The rain continued to fall, lightning flashing in the distance every now and then. Her gaze flickered to the left, then to the right and then down below, and suddenly, she knew where he was.

"Naruto!" She shouted, purposely giving away her whereabouts. Shuriken of varying sizes instantly came flying in her direction, revealing his position to her.Mouth set in a grim line, she leaped backwards, and grasped a weighty but thin branch, avoiding the oncoming shuriken narrowly by arcing her lithe body over it. With a twitch of her fingers, senbon needles shot from her black gloves, and she threw them towards the missing-nin, landing roughly on the branch.

A crowd of Naruto clones suddenly appeared, overtaking the man from below. He seemed to have realized his mistake quickly though, as he swung his sword around, effectively eliminating each of the orange-clad shinobi's clones. His fingers forming a hand seal, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Biting the inside of her cheek nervously, Haruka leaped even higher, grasping branch after branch. Her steps were quick and light, silenced by the howling winds. Her arm swung around to a pocket in her pack and she rummaged a bit. Pulling out a thick coil of wire, she wrapped it around her fist and continued her ascent.   "Haruka-san, I have an idea." She could just barely hear Naruto's voice in the radio. Whirling around, she scanned the surrounding area with a keen eye whilst uncoiling a decent length from the wire. She was safe for now.

"Go on – be quick about it!" She frowned, using a kunai to cut the wire.

There was a slight pause before his torrent of rushed words. "He's predicting every single one of our moves, and so far, our plans have been pretty detailed, right? Maybe we have to go back to the simple stuff, fool him into thinking that we've run out of ideas and that we're desperate enough to do _anything_."

Haruka's fingers paused in their movements of tying the wire to a kunai. She bit her lip thoughtfully, assessing his words. _Revert to the basics..._ Grinning, she touched the button on her radio.

"That could work, Naruto-kun. Now, listen here..." Her voice lowered considerably, but she was sure Naruto would be able to pick up what she was saying. Relaying her sudden idea, she was pleased to hear Naruto's ecstatic agreement.

She resumed tying the kunai, still grinning. Without so much as glancing, she threw the wired kunai over an angled branch above her, having spotted it earlier. Focusing chakra to her feet, she walked up the length of the thick trunk and retrieved the kunai. She quickly scanned the surrounding area again, this time searching for Naruto.

There he was. Yet another overwhelming crowd of _kage bunshin_ was overtaking the large missing-nin. Sticking her tongue out in concentration, she squinted her eyes, taking aim.

_Wait a little longer..._ The clone himself eradicated the last of Naruto's clones, laughing darkly up at the actual _chuunin_ who stood above. He let his sword fall to his side, the acute tip sinking lightly in the black mud.

_Now!_ She threw the kunai with pinpoint accuracy. Keeping a tight grip on the wire, she strafed to the side with surprising deftness. Hands darted towards her pouch and in a flash she had pulled the kunai back towards her at the last second, sending a trio of cold senbon needles flying in his direction. She aimed to paralyze, but she was sure he'd block them.

The man laughed again and blocked them with his armored forearm. She could see him watching her, his black eyes mocking her, smirking at her. She gritted her teeth, also watching Naruto from the corner of her eye.

_Go,_ she urged him silently. He disappeared, quietly. The man had not noticed.

"Whatcha doing so high up, little girl?" His voice was like jagged rocks being dragged across a bed of nails. Haruka winced, disliking the sound of it. His laugh wasn't any better.

Haruka didn't bother to reply, deeming this _clone_ unworthy of conversation. She merely hardened her face and jumped downwards. Her plait of hair whistled in the air behind her as she fell, landing with more grace than she could ever muster at home. Without a moment's hesitation, she ran towards him, readying her senbon needles.

The man laughed again, louder this time, amused with her futile attempt to destroy him. "Do you really think a dwarf like yourself and your baby friend can destroy me?" His chortles echoed in the wood, nearly drowning out the roaring sounds of the storm.

_Yes,_ she thought hatefully, and she boosted her speed with a sudden spurt of chakra. Her arm flew in an eloquent arc, tapered fingers releasing the senbon needles they had been clutching. They sailed towards the missing-nin's pock-marked face.

He laughed. Again.

_Bastard. You'll get what you deserve._

And he did. Haruka leaped back a few yards, eying the man with a loathing expression. She hadn't factored in the tree behind her and she swallowed hard when the damp bark met her back. The man snickered, twirling his sword in his large-fisted grip, and he descended upon her with cold-hearted steps. She hadn't thought about what would happen if she was cornered. Eyes fixed on his, she tried to find a possible escape route, but any which way she moved would keep her within range of his gargantuan blade. She would be ripped to shreds if she tried to move.

_Hurry up Naruto_,she implored silently, trying her hardest to contain the rapid beating of her heart. As a medic-nin, she was accustomed to remaining on the defensive throughout the fight, keeping herself out of harm's way in case she was needed to heal. She generally failed at this, often getting pulled into the fray.

As the missing-nin neared, she found that the smile accompanying his laugh did not reach his heartless eyes. His eyes were those of raw hatred, exuding an icy carelessness that normally would not have intimidated her. But Naruto was taking too long and she was beginning to doubt his ability. A horrible thought suddenly struck her – she was going to die at the hand of a stupid clone. _A clone!_

"How does it feel knowing I'll kill all your friends when I'm done with you?" His guttural voice tore her nerves to shreds. Putting on a brave face, she sneered at him, though her insides were quickly turning to mush. She didn't bother moving. It was hopeless by now.

"How does it feel knowing you're a stupid little shit?" Her retort seemed to have angered him, as she recognized a furious glint in his beady eyes.

"Why you little -- "

There was a loud roar and a mighty crash sounded. Haruka screamed, more from surprise than fear, and squeezed her eyes shut as something tremendous collided against her, pinning her to the tree. Something warm was streaming over her face and soaking her chest. Taking in a deep breath, she opened her eyes and gasped.

The man's squinting eyes were staring lifelessly into hers. Scarlet blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, dripping steadily onto her face. Breathing raggedly, she glanced down and discovered a hole in the center of his abdomen. A whirling ball of chakra, held aloft by a familiar palm, slowly fizzled away.

"Holy crap, Haruka-san! His blade nearly ran you through!"

Eyes wide, Haruka's eyes shifted to the left. She calmly noted that the blade had impaled the missing-nin's body into the tree, narrowly missing her ribcage by a mere inch. Trembling fingers tentatively checked her shallow wound. Mouth parting slightly, she stared at the crimson-stained blade, feeling slightly irked that it had ripped her shirt.

"Wow," she breathed.

"Wow," agreed Naruto.

Haruka looked up into the man's dead eyes again and frowned suddenly.

"This isn't a regular clone! His body should've disappeared instantly!" Her cry was nearly snatched away by the wind. She couldn't see Naruto, but he seemed to have stepped forward. He was inspecting the body, judging from the way he poked it. The body twitched.

"Damn, you're right!"

Haruka's frown deepened. The man's face was changing, his body shrinking into that of much slighter man. His pock-marked visage faded to a clear complexion of luminous, white skin, free of lines and wrinkles. The eyes widened and became larger, black irises lightening to a shimmery blue. Black, brittle hair became a silken bronze. This new man could not have been more than eighteen. Haruka gasped, pressing her back harder against the tree in an attempt to get away.

A strangled sound escaped Naruto's mouth. "Holy shit, he used someone else's body!"

Haruka nodded dumbly, transfixed by the innocent eyes that peered into hers. Regret stung at her insides, but she pushed it away harshly. _There's no way of knowing if he was a civilian or not..._ But as she stared at him, she knew. The deadened eyes that pierced her soul were too pure.

Turning her face to the side, she disguised her sudden sob as a cough. "Naruto, help get his body off me."

"Hai." With much effort, they both succeeded in freeing the blade from the young man's body. Naruto gingerly pulled the body off her and together, they lay him at the roots of the tree. They watched him solemnly for a few moments, until Haruka summoned the courage to pull his cloak over his face.

"Do you think...?" Naruto's voice trailed off and he peered at Haruka with torn eyes. Haruka nodded her head numbly.

"He was being used," she murmured quietly, not sure if Naruto had even heard her. Naruto's hopeful face fell and Haruka, watching him from the corner of her eye, recognized the defeated look in his eyes.

"Don't worry, Naruto. We had no choice..." Her voice was unconvincing, even to her. In her years as a shinobi, she had never become used to the killing and dying. She was a medic-nin; she sought to heal, to pursue life, to give life. Taking lives was never easy for her. And judging by the exhausted look on Naruto's face, she was sure it was not easy for him either.

_Killing is never easy,_ she thought dully as she tilted her face towards the sky. The rain washed away most of the blood from her skin, but she was still left feeling tainted.

Their radios suddenly hissed with static. "Genma's injured! I need help -- " Raya's resounding scream hurt Haruka's ears. Her heart began to race apprehensively.

She looked at Naruto, who was staring straight back at her. There was a determined look in his eyes. Matching his steadfastness, Haruka straightened her slouched form, rubbing her ribs where the blade had just barely scratched her. She didn't bother healing it, knowing she'd need every ounce of chakra she could muster to heal Genma.

Glancing at Naruto once more, she grinned, mostly for his benefit. "Let's go." Naruto nodded his head swiftly, his face firm with determination.

Jumping into movement, Haruka's grin faded into a grim face. _No one else is going to die tonight._

* * *

Raya crouched over Genma's body, fear pulsing a heady course through her veins. Her heart throbbed painfully, racing so fast she could barely hear the beats. Her violet hair was plastered to her head, her light bangs impairing her vision slightly. She could feel Genma's pulse in his neck, but it was weakening by the second. Warm blood soaked her pale hands, flowing thickly from an open wound that was ripped across his chest.

"Shit.. Shit! You'll be okay, Genma, you'll be fine.." Her voice was meek, a whimper rising within the timid tones. Her heart told her likewise: Genma would _not_ be okay. She drew in a sharp, raggedy breath, trying to swallow the lump that had risen in her parched throat.

"He's slowly dying, girl." That rough voice echoed in the clearing, a shredding noise that made Raya flinch. Desperate to flee that horrid voice, Raya moved around and hitched her arms under his and attempted to pull him. But he was too heavy for her slight body. She bit back a sob, trying to keep her cool in the current worsening situation. Genma's life was slowly blinking away.

"Shut up!" Her scream was fruitless and only made the man laugh even harder. Falling to her knees, she ignored the thick mud that oozed around her legs and the numbing cold that encompassed her. Biting her lip hard, she ripped a long strip of cloth from her skirt, working on staunching the bleeding. She tried her hardest to remember everything Haruka had told her, but it was hard to think, hard to move, because Genma was slowly bleeding to death because of her...

She could feel the man's chakra as he neared her. It burned at her senses, causing a sharp shiver of dread to creep up her spine. Only half-satisfied with what she'd done to prolong Genma's life, she whirled around, stumbling to her feet hastily.

"You bastard!" Her voice cracking, she charged at the man, pulling a kunai from her kunai holster. She couldn't think straight – she'd lost that ability the moment she realized the danger Genma was in. Her throw was careless, not aiming at any point of his body, but she didn't care. Her plans had failed her thus far, and now Genma lay dying because she refused to listen to him. The anguish that tore at her body was too immense for her to care any longer. The man laughed again, that same dark laugh, and he caught the kunai.

"You can't defeat me," he said simply, his voice so matter-of-fact that for an instant, Raya thought of Hanajima. She shook that thought from her mind, not wanting to associate Hanajima with such a monster.

He was too strong; he knew it and she knew it, and he knew that she knew it. There was a self-satisfied smirk upon his homely face, amplified by the rivulets of rain that streamed down his skin. Raya swallowed hard, knowing there was only one way she could get both her and Genma out of their predicament.

_I can't use it though. It's too dangerous. _The logical part of her mind quelled the emotional part. _It's the only way, Raya. Genma won't survive if you don't do it..._ Her inner struggle could be seen upon her face, contorting her features painfully. She had no other choice if she wanted to survive, if she wanted to save Genma's life. She could hear Haruka's voice, rent with worry and fear, warning her against using _ it._

Her mind set, she stared at the muddy ground for a few moments, her body jerking in pain as it awaited the torture it knew was in store. The man was still laughing, his voice echoing harshly in the ravaging storm.

"There's no hope, girl!"

Raya suddenly looked up, emerald eyes blackening slowly. Something was clawing at her eyes horribly, and a gash was suddenly ripped diagonally across her irises, oozing a vivid indigo. A wicked smile tugged at her cracked lips delightedly. Lightning flashed in the distance, and her milky face became luminous in the suffocating darkness. Her eyes glinted evilly.

"No hope for you, at least." Eyes flashing frighteningly, the man's gasp was just barely audible to her ears. A few seconds passed and suddenly, his agonized screams ripped the air , drowning out the roar of the storm. Her harrowing smile gleamed in the darkness.

_You'll rue this day, you bastard. You'll rue the day you decided to hurt my friends._


	6. Five: Distractions

**Chapter Five  
Distraction**

"Sakura! How far are you from Genma's location?" Haruka exchanged a worried glance with Naruto as they hurried through the trees. The storm was worsening by the second; Haruka was doubtful that Sakura could hear her through all the howling and screaming of the wind. Each drop of rain felt like an icy needle to the skin, each twig and needle cutting at them harshly, unrelenting in their desire to inflict as much pain as possible. Shivering from the utter cold, she pressed her ear piece harder in a pointless attempt to hear better. An especially harsh gust of wind unsteadied her slightly, blowing a sharp twig against injured side.

She pressed an icy hand against her waist, trying to block out the stinging pain. Moments flew by swiftly, and Haruka felt her heart falling with every step she took. She ached to know of her friend's safety – Raya was like her younger sister, someone she who understood her like no other. And she felt genuine worry for Genma.

Raya hadn't given the details over the radio; she had been far too busy. But Haruka knew deep down that something dreadful had happened when she heard her friend's high pitched keen for help, torn with the urgency of the situation.

_Hold on Raya... We'll be there soon... Don't use your kekkei genkai, please don't..._

Her thoughts were interrupted by a crackling hiss in her ear piece. Naruto shot her an anxious look, and they both listened apprehensively, their shadowed faces grim. Sakura's usually gentle voice, now rent with gruff exertion, sounded in their ears.

"We're still -- " Her voice cut off with a gasp. Haruka just barely heard a loud, _"Hah!"_ and an ear-splitting crash. Eyes flickering around keenly for any sign of chaos, she was disappointed to find that Sakura was not near.

"We're still dealing with the clone!" Sakura sounded out of breath and it was hard to hear her over the tumultuous thunder in the distance. "Haruka-san, you'll have to find Genma!"

The black forest glowed in a brief flash of lightning, gargantuan, gnarled trees resolute in their stillness. Haruka peeked a glance at Naruto from the corner of her eye, slowly recognizing the swift ascent of bestial fury upon his whiskered-face. Her heart began to pound in a deafening beat.

_His eyes! Are they red!?_

Lightning flashed again and she looked at him quickly, unable to still her thundering heart. Her suspicions were verified; his eyes gleamed with a feral anger, burning a cerise color that reminded her morbidly of blood.

_His jinchuuriki, _she realized dumbly. She had heard of it, through whispered rumors that mainly surrounded Gaara-sama. She had ignored them for the most part, not wanting to judge, but she could not stop that faint fear and wonder she felt when she thought about the demons they housed. Her muscles tightened in an instantaneous reaction to her revelation. Fear spread a chilling course throughout her arteries and veins. Ignoring the sudden cold, she let her gaze fall forward quickly. With Sakura out of the picture, it was up to her and Naruto to locate Genma and Raya. Hanajima had informed them that they had dealt with their clone, or decoy rather, earlier, but Haruka had no idea how far they were, so they too were out of the picture it seemed. That didn't bode well with Haruka.

"Naruto, Haruka!"

Despite the fact she heard his voice in her ear piece, she looked up, sensing his presence and trying to ignore that coursing relief that suddenly rushed through her. Eyes scoping the shadows of the night, she blinked and missed Kakashi's sudden appearance from below. Her heart began to race, but for different reasons this time.

_Shit, this is no time to feel like that. _None the less, she felt her numbing fear ebb slightly. She tried to avert her eyes, but he caught her jittery gaze and held it for a few unwavering moments. His fair skin looked paler in the darkness, his shadowed eyes lined with the faintest sign of fatigue. Her heart jumped into her throat at the sight of his silvery hair, damp and falling down to frame his masked face. She chastised herself instantly for finding it so darn attractive...

His eye, ever so sharp, lingered on the scratch on her side. Attributing his clenched jaw to the fact that this stupid mission was proving to be more difficult than imagined, she tore her eyes reluctantly from his hidden face and gazed ahead, wishing desperately for her blasted feelings to go away.

_Think about Raya and Genma. They need our help... They need my help..._

Shouldering her running emotions, she summoned the confidence to cut off Kakashi as he was about to speak.

"Two of us should go in and get Genma and Raya. Four would be better, but Naruto seems..." Haruka flinched when she heard the boy's infuriated roar as he slammed a fist into a tree. Kakashi was gazing forward, his body slouched in a seeming air of utter nonchalance, but Haruka could see the rigidness in his muscles. He was a master at keeping his emotions in check. Hiding the utter awe she felt, she looked up at him. His eye was impassive.

"Keep your head, Naruto." Despite the noisy circumstances, his low voice was easily heard. Naruto fixed an aggravated glare on his ex-sensei, his fury turned onto Kakashi.

"I'm not staying behind, Kakashi-sensei!"

Haruka could feel the irritation rolling off Kakashi's person in heavy waves. She suddenly felt awkward, an innocent caught between mortal enemies. She tried to catch Hanajima's eye, but the woman was staring off, her face blank and devoid of emotion. She seemed unaffected by the numbing cold, Haruka noted begrudgingly.

"Naruto, think rationally. The decoys are formidable opponents. Raya and Genma are up against the real thing, and he is bound to be much stronger. We have to think this out. Only fools rush in." Kakashi said this all in a lackadaisical voice, but there was a definite note of urgency underneath.

"Haruka, you and Hanajima will go in after Raya and Genma. I'll stay behind with Naruto and try to contact Sakura and Kankuro."

"I'm not staying behind – Genma needs our help -- "

"Shut up, Naruto..." Kakashi sounded more than a little gruff.

Haruka was loathe to admit it, but she had noticed a flaw in Kakashi's plan that could prove devastating (to her, at least). Hanajima was quick to voice her concerns, thankfully.

"That's all nice and dandy, Kakashi, but Haruka lacks the strength to lug the body of an unconscious man – which he must be, judging from the urgency of Raya's transmission – even with _my_ help. Also, if you factor in her fatigue after she heals him, and then whether or not Raya is so much as conscious when we arrive, we'd have an even greater dilemma. That said, if Haruka wasn't such a midget, your plan _might_ have worked." All this was spoken in a monotonous voice surrounded by static. "No offense, Ha-san," she offered at the last moment, though her voice conveyed little apology.

An amused snort that sounded suspiciously like Kankuro was heard over the radio.

Haruka rolled her eyes with extreme exaggeration. "None taken," she remarked dryly. She saw the corners of what she supposed was Kakashi's jaw turn up into a slight grin.

His eye was thoughtful now. Haruka was only granted a profile-view of his masked face, and she was filled with a sudden curiosity as to how he looked. Was he ugly? She doubted it – his mask could not hide that defined jaw and the rest of him was utterly.. well... _beautiful_. Not in a girly-way, heavens no. He was very much a man, she noted appreciatively, her eyes subtly raking over his broad shoulders and lean torso. A horrific thought occurred to her. She was ogling at him like she was Genma or Kankuro. A light blush warmed her face and she was suddenly grateful for the blanket of darkness.

_Focus, you nitwit!_

Kakashi's eye flickered over to her face, as if he was aware of her thoughts. Despite the grim situation, she could feel his amusement. His _tense_ amusement, though. There was something wary about his glance.

"I suppose you have to stay behind and make sure Naruto doesn't act like an imbecile then, Hanajima..."

"I can't stay! I'm going to kick that bastard's ass – he'll get what he did to Genma!" Naruto was so pumped with adrenaline he let Kakashi's insult slide by. Haruka took that as a sign to worry. Someone needed to get through his thick head once and for all.

Shaking herself free of her trance, she whipped her head around to glare at Naruto. "We don't even know what exactly what it is he did to Genma! So shut up or I'll castrate you and cut up that face of your's so badly that a woman will never look at you again! If you think that's bad, I can tell you all the things Hanajima has in store for you!" Her tone was livid, her irritation that she had to continue on with Kakashi, _alone_, transferred to Naruto unfairly.

Naruto shut up, but his eyes remained hateful. Hanajima was merely thoughtful, as if she was thinking up new ways of torture. There was a stunned silence. Kakashi broke it with a nervous cough, watching Haruka with apprehensive eyes.

"Let's go," he said simply, and he disappeared from view, dropping to the wet earth below. Haruka followed swiftly, half-heartedly telling herself that she was too young for the mysterious Copy Nin.

* * *

Haruka was silent as they continued on towards Raya and Genma. Kakashi quickly became aware that she seemed agitated, and her furtive though infrequent glances were mystifying him at a rapid rate. He knew that Raya was close to Haruka, though _how_ close did not become evident to him until now. The muscles of her body were rigid and she appeared extremely nervous and uncomfortable. He supposed that it made sense, what with the danger her friend was in...

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, his gaze drawn to her fidgeting hands. Genma was right; they were beautiful. Kakashi normally didn't find himself inspecting hands as so, being a legs person himself, but her hands were _different_. In all his years as a _shinobi_, he had never seen hands so flawless. They were smooth, with slender fingers that tapered off in a very feminine fashion, which was fitting for her gender he supposed. It seemed she opted for clean nails that were unpainted and trimmed with the utmost precision. She was twirling a senbon needle so swiftly, the metal stick dancing in such rapid patterns, that he wondered how she avoided cutting herself; then again, she _was_ a medic-nin. He could only deduce that she was an expert with them, and thinking back on the previous night and her incident with Genma, he was confident his deduction was correct.

His gaze slowly traveled upwards to the cut along the side of her waist. He figured it wasn't deep and it had to be mild enough for her to leave it unhealed, but it was a long scratch. Her tried not to pay attention to how her shirt was ripped and revealing her golden skin or how she was so soaked with rain that her fitted shirt seemed even tighter or how she shivered so delicately every time an especially strong gust of wind blew their way...

Biting the inside of his cheek, he looked away swiftly, willing himself to focus on the mission. Genma and Raya's safety. Not Haruka's unbeknownst torture of him.

Even so, he found his eye slowly traveling towards her again. Another flash of lightning revealed her dark eyes to be trained on his. Embarrassed, she looked away swiftly, biting her lip in a very endearing and vulnerable fashion. Kakashi found himself staring, transfixed, at her mouth... Her moist, quivering mouth...

He coughed loudly and looked away quickly. Luckily, his moment of weakness was drowned out by the roar of thunder. _Something wrong with me.. Something seriously wrong with me..._

Kakashi was irked. Not only was he not thinking straight, but it seemed he had lost the ability to think in coherent, properly strung sentences.

Knowing he wouldn't be caught, he cast a dreadful glare at her, a glare so dark and ominous that she would quiver with fear and horror and... lust. She would quiver so passionately that when his lips pressed against her's she would arc her soft body against his and moan with pleasure, like she was moaning now...

His face blanched, all thought eradicated from his mind when she gave that soft, saddened moan, though for different reasons than his mind wished for. Clenching his jaw, Kakashi decided he would stare ahead and not look at her or listen to her or let anything about _her_ break his resolve. She was distracting him, and he hated her for it, though she was doing it unwittingly, with her sensuous curves and suggestive noises...

_No! _He would not waver. He would succeed in ignoring his lustful instincts, he would save Genma (with her help, sadly), and he would probably then be promptly beaten to a pulp by the injured _shinobi_ who would doubtless tell him to act on his desire to simply ravish . Else Genma himself would do it, and that would not do, would it?

_No,_ growled a surprisingly gruff voice in his head.

The Cute One had done this to him. The Cute One whose name had suddenly changed to The Seductress. The Unwitting Seductress.

Firm in his vow not to look at her or speak to her, he continued to stare straight ahead, trying to ignore the space between their bodies. The animal in him wanted to cross that space and --

_Holy fucking shit, n__o!_ Scowling beneath his mask, he decided to further his vow with a touch of indifference, perhaps a lack of considerateness towards her. Not nice, he knew, but maybe it'd work and she'd... hate him even more? Kakashi didn't really care what people said about him, or what they thought about him, or even if they downright despised him. He just didn't give a damn. But as he suspiciously began to eye the poor girl – _woman_ – again, he found himself wondering _why_ she disliked him. Even though it was obvious that part of her didn't.

"Kakashi?"

His eyes shifted away swiftly, almost guiltily. Haruka was watching him, her mouth tugged into a frown. Kakashi allowed her the briefest of indifferent glances before looking away again.

"Hm?"

"Um... why are you clutching a kunai?" Kakashi blinked rapidly, his gaze falling to the kunai he had unwittingly pulled from his pouch. He raised a brow, as if in wonder. Haruka watched him, unsure whether or not to laugh or groan in exasperation.

"I wonder when I grabbed that..."

Haruka stared at him incredulously. "You don't remember grabbing a kunai?" Her voice was thick with sarcasm and disbelief.

Kakashi gave a noncommittal shrug. "I don't remember a lot of things."

"And _why_ is that?" There was a definite hint of curiosity in that question, but it was outweighed by a slightly mocking tone.

"There are a number of reasons, one being that I like to get drunk and getting drunk requires a hefty amount of forgetfulness. Or I could be clinically insane and harmful to myself. Maybe I just have fantasies of killing random people. Who knows, maybe I was thinking of killing you..." He sounded thoughtful.

Haruka stared at him, as if there was something wrong with him.

It was beginning to make him rather self-conscious, to be honest. He slowly turned his head and gave her an immeasurable look. It seemed he had forgotten his vow not to talk, think, or look at her. Not that he really cared, really. She was just too darn interesting.

She quickly averted her eyes and blushed, tilting her face away from his. Kakashi would have chuckled victoriously had he not been so torn in that moment. He knew she returned _some_ of the feelings he felt (though, maybe not the whole _'ravishing her senseless'_ part); were they really feelings, though? Or was it just his body's instantaneous reaction to a pretty girl?

_Rawr, _he thought a bit sullenly. He was pretty good at keeping himself in check. Not pretty good, actually. Extremely good. Excellent. But then one midget-of-a-girl who had a habit of glaring at him and he was falling to pieces? It would not do. Not for the great Hatake Kakashi.

_Always the theatrics_, said a rather cynical and snide part of his mind. Kakashi swatted that voice away, instantly disliking it. It always came up at the most stressful of times.

Like now. Genma and Raya. Why was he was distracted? Kakashi cast a sidelong glance at Haruka, who was biting her lip thoughtfully. Again. Biting back a groan, he closed his eyes and focused on the mission.

_Genma. Raya. They need us now. Not a half-crazed man with desires to fuck his teammate. _Kakashi deadpanned. Everything he thought about came back to haunt him. Instantaneously. Shit.

It was while these thoughts were going through his mind that he noticed movement, towards his left. Movement in a battered clearing. Without a moment's hesitation, he moved to point it out to Haruka, only to find she had already stopped and was gazing past him. She looked thoughtful as she glanced up at him, just barely restraining the irritation in her eyes.

_What did I do!? _he thought, almost desperately. Pushing away his thoughts, he shook his head very lightly. "Not yet," he said quietly, eyes darting back to the clearing.

Wordlessly, he gestured for her to follow him upwards, into the thick and twisted branches above. Crouching, he peered into the clearing. Boughs had been ripped from the soil, roots reaching out in sharp twists in the air. The rain continued to pound relentlessly and the wind remained as hard as ever. There were three dark figures in the clearing, just barely moving. Kakashi's gloved hand darted towards his _hitaite,_ but Haruka halted him with a snap of her wrist.

"Wait," she breathed, when Kakashi looked at her questioningly, trying not to notice how soft her icy hand was against his. She was cold. Her wide eyes were trained on a crouched figure, sharply watching it's every movement. Kakashi rolled his eye and tugged his hand free, finding even this minimal amount of contact to be _too_ much.

"Don't use your _sharingan_," she hissed at him, shifting her blazing gaze upon his face. Kakashi blanched, blinking slowly.

"May I ask why?" he remarked dryly. He vaguely noticed that her jaw was clenched, her chin jutting out stubbornly. He couldn't help but find her attempt at imperiousness to be adorable. She quickly looked back into the shadowy clearing.

"Don't waste your chakra," she said simply. Kakashi stared at her, rather nonplussed. Noticing his stare, she looked at him rather sheepishly, her cheeks warming. Kakashi found that her constant blushes were rewarding; they provided him with never-ending amusement. And he wasn't supposed to be amused now, nor thinking of ways to get her to blush more often.

Still looking sheepish, she bit her bottom lip, sucking it experimentally. Kakashi studiously ignored that little detail. "I researched a little on your _sharingan_, just to be thorough. I don't think you should be consuming chakra needlessly, just to identify our teammates. Besides, I have a much more inexpensive way to do that..." Without pausing to inform him of _what_ her way was, she pulled her pack off her shoulder, rummaging through the pockets.

_She researched the sharingan? Thorough little girl..._

She was smart, he had to admit. She had to be, to be a medic-nin. And a _jounin_ level one too. Medic-nin were hard to come by, what with the stress and hard work and the fact that they were always the primary targets in a battle. It didn't help if you mortally injured your enemy, only to find a stupid medic-nin healing him again. So it made sense that they were the first to go.

Kakashi didn't bother watching her, instead training his eyes on the three in the clearing. Two were lying down, one crouched, and he didn't have a hard time guessing who was who. He could feel Genma's chakra, so close, but it was weakening by the minute. He didn't think they could wait much longer. But they couldn't be certain, and being careful was better than being fooled into thinking everything was alright...

Sighing remorsefully, he looked at Haruka again, watching rather anxiously as she pulled out a small flashlight the size of a candy bar.

He quickly understood her motive. Quirking a brow in amusement, he leaned away, his back pressing against the trunk of the tree as he watched her crouched profile. She flashed him an annoyed glance, noticing his condescending manner. When he ignored her, she narrowed her eyes and returned to her business.

Even in this desperate situation, he couldn't help but admire her beauty. She looked more exotic, like the rare blossom she was in the harsh desert. She was sucking her cheek in thought, emphasizing the fine plane of her cheekbones. Water dripped from her thick lashes and she blinked quickly to rid herself of it. Crouched on the vast branch, her shivering body looked smaller than ever. A brief flash of lightning illuminated the long line of her curved spine, trembling from the cold. Kakashi shook his head gently, prioritizing his thoughts hastily.

Haruka proceeded to switch the flash light on. A long beam of light flickered on, shining a bright path into the clearing. Moving her hand over the bulb, she completed a pattern of winking lights. Then she stopped and leaned back onto her heels, waiting with bated breath.

"Hurry up, Raya," she muttered through gritted teeth, rocking gently. She was shivering, Kakashi noticed. The rain probably wasn't helping. Nor the wind for that matter. Shrugging to himself, he lazily turned his gaze to the clearing.

A moment passed, then another. Kakashi began to rise to his feet. "Haruka..."

"Wait! There it is!"

A jerky pattern of lights shone out towards them. The hand holding the light was shaky with fatigue. Drawing in a sharp breath, Haruka shot of speedily towards the clearing, Kakashi following in her wake.

_Damn, she's fast._

* * *

Raya crouched near Genma's head, her body bowed under the make-shift shelter she had crudely constructed of a few hollowed logs tied above, hanging aloft to protect them from most of the rain. Her body was trembling as she shook to and fro, her teeth chattering in her mouth.

Genma stirred beside her when rainwater hit his face. She glanced at him with empty eyes, gently brushing the droplet away with frigid hands. She didn't know how much longer they could take it. The weariness was settling in, especially now that she had turned to her _shihaigan_.

A flash of lightning illuminated her face. Her eyes had returned to their emerald shade, but they were red and tired. Scarlet blood was caked around them, clinging desperately, as if someone had gouged at them horribly. The deep red contrasted with the startling green harshly, casting her wan face deeper into shadow. There were shallow scratches along her face and neck, traveling up and down the length of her long arms. Some had been healed, shoddily, whilst some were still bleeding, trickling spindly trails down her colorless skin. She had done her best to clean up the worst of the wounds, but there were so many that she had given up.

So she waited for Ha-san, like she always did when she used her _shihaigan_. Another flash of lightning and she was glancing towards the missing-nin's dead body a ways off. Even from where she was crouched, she could see the horror-filled eyes, vacant of the life that had previously encompassed them. They were sunken, deep in his skull, and his mouth was agape, wide with a silent scream that rang out in Raya's ears sharply.

Tears burned at her eyes and she was filled with white-hot shame. She should've listened to Genma. He had told her to stop being so precise, to stop over-thinking and over-analyzing, and though part of it was his fault, she couldn't help but feel partly to blame. Their first mission and she was already screwing up. Hanajima would have her hide.

He had underestimated their opponent; she had overestimated him, like she always did. Their plans and ideas, though smooth at first, had become more rocky and less coherent until finally, Genma had to go in recklessly to save her neck. She hadn't counted on him getting injured. She had just barely gotten them both away when the stupid bastard had found them. Again.

Her eyes were fixed on his and she found herself unconsciously leaning forward, hissing in pain in spite of herself. His anguished screams echoed perpetually in her mind, his horrific memories filling her. Her s_hihaigan_, her _kekkei genkai_, it allowed her to inflict a severe sense of vertigo upon anyone she locked eyes with. She remembered when she was younger, how her father had told her she could elaborate on the vertigo by traveling up the connection between the mind and the inner ear mechanisms. She was given access to her victim's worst memories, in essence, and with that ammo in tow, she could proceed to twist the memory this way and that.

She had done just that to the missing-nin.

Snakes. That was what he feared the most. But not just any kind of snake... It was an immense snake, with massive fangs and gargantuan, elliptical eyes that conveyed hatred and feral fury. His horror, his nightmare, was being crushed to death by the furious creature.

Raya had provided him with that nightmare just as she had slit his jugular vein. Swift and easy.

But not so swift and easy. Raya had never learned to properly control her _shihaigan_. Her father had died before she had completed her training. And due to her father's impromptu death, she was left with a _shihaigan_ that would quickly become confused and would over-generate chakra at an excessive rate. Which would generally be a good thing if the chakra didn't turn against her and begin to damage her body slowly. It sliced and diced at her, cutting up her body. And then the _shihaigan_ would become even more confused and the chakra would begin to heal her wounds in a sloth-like fashion.

So really, anyone could see why Raya hated to used the _shihaigan_. It was foolish and dangerous, despite it's utter effectiveness. Raya just did not have the proper training.

Sighing aloud, she turned slightly, wincing as she checked Genma's pulse. Weak, but still there. Gritting her teeth, she leaned back and tilted her face up, despising the utter cold she felt.

A sudden flash of light. In her direction. Straightening up, Raya stared with intense concentration at the source, quickly recognizing the pattern. She could feel Haruka's burning chakra in the distance, along with someone else's. Heart leaping into her throat, she fumbled for her pack, searching for her flashlight. But she could hardly see in the dark, and it was hard, especially with her numb fingers.

There it was! She grabbed it quickly and flashed a different pattern in Haruka's direction. They had developed this code when they had first been placed on a team together a year ago, and it had worked effectively for them since. Relief surged through her as she awaited her friend's arrival.

It came quickly.

"Raya!" Haruka's tiny form came bounding into the clearing from above, a broader figure following from behind. Raya untangled her long legs with a tormented hiss and stood up, swaying heavily.

"Don't move! Sit down!" Haruka grasped her forearm gently and led her back underneath the shelter. Raya merely nodded dumbly. She looked up, recognizing Kakashi.

"Hullo," she said thickly. Haruka tittered beside her, biting her lip anxiously. Raya knew what she was thinking, and she glared at her short friend irritably.

"Genma. Now..."

She nodded her head swiftly and quickly moved to Genma's side. Her fingers flew at a fast rate, checking his temperature and his pulse. Without a moment's hesitation, she proceeded to remove his vest, gently, and then tore his shirt open. Raya watched, transfixed, as Haruka crossed her hands a few inches above Genma's wound, her brow knotted with concentration. Cool, green chakra pulsed from her hands, spreading over the wound softly. Haruka's face slowly eased into one of calmness and serenity.

"Raya." She slowly turned her face towards Kakashi, who had knelt in front of her. His dark eyes seemed endless, watching her with an intensity that disturbed her. She met them reluctantly, perfectly aware how horrible she must look. Lank hair hanging in sopping strands around her face, blood streaming from her sunken eyes...

"What happened?" His voice seemed not to care, but Raya knew likewise. She had a feeling it was just how he talked.

Closing her eyes agonizingly, she leaned back with a great sigh. "I was stupid and got caught. Genma underestimated him and he got injured saving me. Gouged in the chest. So I used my _kekkei genkai_ against him."

Raya peeked open an eye, smiling wryly. Kakashi's face – or eye – looked extremely serious and slightly surprised.

"You don't know about my _kekkei genkai_, do you? Oh yeah. One of Suna's biggest kept secrets. The Satoma Clan. The _Shihaigan_. I basically manipulated his worst fear while inflicting vertigo on him. Then I stabbed him with my kunai. Cowardly, isn't it?" Raya giggled, but her face remained frightfully impassive. She looked up at Kakashi, but his gaze was unreadable.

"Do you have the scroll?"

Raya nodded her head softly, pointedly tapping her hip pouch, her eyes conveying the utter hatred she felt towards her _shihaigan_. It seemed so stupid that Genma had been injured because of a stupid scroll, especially since Gaara himself had admitted the scroll was mediocre, but that had been the point, hadn't it? She could practically hear the gears turning in Kakashi's complex mind.

He watched her closely, gauging her reaction as he spoke. "We needed him alive, Raya-san."

Her eyes narrowed in spiteful way that was uncharacteristic for her. The irritation she felt was understandable, but Kakashi's berating tone did little to calm her rising temper.

"He was _too_ much for us to handle! If Genma and I hadn't been so damn cocky, we might've had a chance, but don't you _dare_ for one second tell me that none of you were cocky too! No one expected him to be at such a high level! We were all caught off-guard!" Her voice wavered, a tiresome quake trembling her fury. Her mouth opened in a silent scream and she quickly sucked in a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself.

"I didn't have any choice, Kakashi-san. It was either kill or be killed..."

Raya dared to look up at Kakashi. What she saw filled her with an immense guilt.

"A life can be unimportant in the face our villages' safety." He wanted to say more; she could see the questions in his eye. He refrained from voicing them, but Raya knew he'd seek her out sooner or later for information.

Fury flashed in Raya's emerald eyes. She could feel her heartbeat quicken with fury. _Maybe Haruka's right. Maybe Kakashi is a bastard._

"Raya," Haruka began, almost warningly. The sympathy in her voice was too much for her to bear, so Raya refused to meet her worried gaze. Haruka sighed softly and moved to kneel beside her, gently pressing a hand over her bloody eyes.

Raya shut them quickly, almost eager to feel the cool chakra soothe her wounds. Haruka didn't disappoint her. Chakra flowed smoothly, healing the wounds around her eyes with a lukewarm trail that numbed as it moved. The pain faded away into nothingness as Haruka guided the chakra around her face. She could feel the sharp regrowth of skin as it grafted itself over the wounds, but she felt no pain. Instead, she was left with a light tickling sensation.

Haruka removed her hand, watching Raya remorsefully. "You shouldn't have used it," she said quietly as she wiped the blood from her face.

Raya surprised her by laughing harshly. Haruka flinched, not meeting her friend's eyes.

"I told you, I had no other choice, Ha-san. It was either that, or let Genma and me die. I'm not open to dying, at the moment." Haruka nodded her head slowly, heaving an immense sigh. She turned around to speak to Kakashi, tilting her face up to look at him. Raya marveled at how tiny she looked next to him.

"Genma's fine for now, but he needs to recuperate. He has a minor head injury, but I don't feel comfortable healing it here. It's too risky." She bit her lip, eyes ponderous. "We can't lug him through the rain all night, either," she pointed out, her tone surprisingly soft. Raya watched her closely, finding something odd in her mannerism.

Kakashi nodded his head, not really looking at either of them. "We'll have to stay at a hotel in town." He frowned, or at least his eye did. "A few hotels. We don't want to bring attention to ourselves, in case there are more of them..."

Raya watched the exchange in silence. Both of them were tense, keeping their distance from each other. Frowning, she opened her mouth to voice a question that had been nagging her for awhile.

Three radios suddenly crackled to life – Raya had lost her's in the midst of the fight. Leaning to the side, she grabbed Genma's ear piece and listened intently. Kankuro's voice hissed in her ear harshly.

"-- our decoy, but he downed a poison. I'm guessing the other decoys were civilians too?"

Raya's mouth dropped and she looked at Haruka, who avoided her gaze by staring at the ground. A lot of her hair had come free from her customary braid and hid most of her face from view. The ends were curling and were tangled.

"Civilians?" she asked hesitantly. Kakashi glanced at Haruka, who looked too dejected to reply, and then looked at Raya, nodding his head slightly. He looked ponderous as he tapped his chin. Something was disturbing him, Raya realized.

Naruto's voice sounded in her ear. It was surprisingly rough, rent with fury. "Yeah! Haruka and I had to..." Raya stopped listening when Haruka suddenly snapped her radio off. She looked irked.

"We need to move Genma. _Now_," she said urgently. Kakashi nodded his head again. It seemed all he did was nod his head. Wordlessly, he moved next to Genma, Haruka following him anxiously. Kakashi slung the man over his shoulder with surprising ease, though Raya was sure she heard him grunt from the weight.

Haruka was tittering beside him. "His chest! Be careful! He still needs to recuperate, he's lost a lot of blood," she cried, her voice rising in pitch with concern. Kakashi was waving her off irritably. Raya resisted the urge to chuckle at her friend's antics, finding it amusing how worried and careful she could get with patients in her care. She rolled her eyes and made to stand up, but she ended up bending as soon as she was upright. She clutched her knees, breathing heavily. The _shihaigan_ had really done a number on her... She began to cough, hard.

Haruka was beside her in an instant, helping her up again. "Oh, Raya," she sighed sadly. "You're going to have a horrible cold by tomorrow."

Raya ignored her, taking a step forward with Ha-san's help.

Kakashi was speaking to others through the radio, saying something about hotels. Raya didn't really care; she was too tired to listen to anything. He turned around and said something, probably telling them to hurry up. Leaning heavily against Haruka, took another tentative step and they were off.

_I'll just close my eyes for a second..._

* * *

Raya was dozing off against Haruka's right shoulder. She gritted her teeth, feeling the fatigue deep in her bones as she supported Raya's stumbling body. She had overdone it today, Raya had. Her heart ached for her friend's plight, but she couldn't help but feel slightly aggravated that she had turned to the _shihaigan_. _Yet again_...

Shaking her head, she spurned herself until she was matching Kakashi's speed. It was difficult when there was a lethargic, slow-moving person leaning against you. She tried her hardest to hide her gasps, opting to breathe heavily through her nostrils instead. The final effect still left her looking highly out of breath.

Kakashi was looking at her again, his eye utterly impassive. Grinding her teeth, she stared ahead, her face resolute.

"Are you okay?"

"No," she drawled sardonically. "I'm perfectly dandy, lugging around my semi-conscious friend."

"You are a very rude girl," he remarked rather sadly. Haruka glanced at him. He looked almost comical, his face crestfallen, his damp, silver hair in a disarray, his shoulders slumped.

"And you are a very irritating man." Again, that sad, puppy-dog expression in his eye. It didn't work for him, she decided. It might've, if she knew what his face looked like. As it was, it remained hidden from her vision. This fact irked her.

"So it took you only three days to figure me out?" Haruka instantly recognized those words. They were _her_ words, albeit a bit different.. He was _mocking_ her! She glared at him fiercely, biting her tongue. Kakashi wasn't even looking at her.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She felt stupid saying it, but she couldn't think of anything else to say. Which made her feel hatred for this man even more. _Hatred for this utterly hot man._ She quelled that thought instantly. Thoughts like that were unwanted.

He slowly turned his head towards her, all the while maintaining his quick speed. She met his gaze evenly, trying to appear as condescending as possible, but it was too difficult. His unreadable eye penetrated her's.

"Why do you hate me so much?"

Haruka's words died in her throat. He had opened up for the briefest of moments, allowing her to catch a quick glimpse of the man underneath, a man who was curious and nonplussed. She felt shameful and hateful and angry. Blinking rapidly, she looked away. He was still watching her.

"It's not you.. It's me." She suddenly burned red, realizing she sounded like she was breaking up with him. Slapping a hand over her face, she sighed.

"I don't _hate_ you," she began all over. She let her hand fall and she turned her gaze on him again.

"Then why the evil glares?" His voice was incredibly dry. He was gazing ahead, again, but he was watching her from the corner of his eye. Waiting. Her blush deepened as she sought away to avoid answering the question outright. She decided lying was the way to go. She didn't have many qualms about lying.

"Um... Glaring's in my nature?" Okay. She had avoided giving a real answer. So what if she had qualms about lying? She was a girl with morals... albeit, not many.

He snorted. A brief show of emotion. She had to resist the urge to smile by biting the inside of her cheek quickly, but it was hard to contain such an expression. It tugged at her lips and she ducked her head to hide her face from his prying eyes.

_Eye, _she corrected herself. She giggled inwardly, her smile spreading wider.

"You look nicer when you smile."

Haruka felt her face warm, despite the icy winds blowing about her. She tried to eradicate that smile on her face, just to spite him, to throw it back in _his_ nonchalant face, but she couldn't help it. She smiled brighter.

"I've changed my mind. I hate you now." A dark chuckle escaped her.

"_Nani_? What did I do?" He was looking at her again, his eye incredulous. More emotion from him. She could feel a giggle rising within her. It was all so.. sudden. It was too weird.

_Damn it, I will not giggle! I shall remain impassive and I shall laugh, though it will be a dark and evil laugh that will send a shiver of fear trembling down his spine!_

That was it. She had to giggle. And so it escaped her, rising in her throat and bubbling outwards. Kakashi's look of incredulity increased, much to her.. joy? She began to giggle louder and she stumbled lightly in her steps. Oh God, joy was making her drunk.

_This is not the situation for a giggle-fit!_

She sobered up quickly. She didn't want Kakashi to think he was all royal now that he had witnessed her giggling. _Giggling. Of all things!_

"Are you done?" There it was again, that dry, sarcastic voice. It just made her want to laugh harder, which puzzled her to no end; dry voices made her want to _scream_, not_ laugh. _Biting her lip, she nodded her head, keeping that bubbly laugh at bay. She honestly had no idea what had come over her. Part of her figured it was her odd way of dealing with all the stress currently, but she had a feeling Kakashi was working some kind of voodoo magic on her... She tried her best to look serious and tried to shoot him a suspicious look, but she failed. Abysmally.

Kakashi seemed to suspect her overwhelming urge, judging from the amused look in his eye and the way he shook his head, as if saying, _'Women,'_. Haruka's face twisted as she fought to keep that laugh inside. But she could feel his amusement in waves and she knew she couldn't hold much longer.

Scrunching her face up, she let out a long and hard laugh. Raya stirred on her shoulder, mumbling something about Haruka and her stupid laughing and to shut the fuck up (oh, Haruka was going to get her back for all those lectures on swearing!). It slowly dwindled away into little giggles that shook her tiny frame gently. The back of her head was starting to throb from laughing too much.

"I'm..." She trailed off, giggling again. "Sorry," she said quickly, before another fit of giggles overcame her.

"By all means, let it out of your system."

She imagined he was rolling his eye. This brought on another fit of giggles. Inside, she was alarmed with herself. She was acting so... unprofessional. Cringing in horror, she hiccuped gently, finalizing her laughing escapade.

Sucking in a deep breath, she exhaled slowly, easing her screaming lungs. She attempted to look serious. Cool. All laid-back, like Kakashi. She was pretty sure the end result was disastrous, judging from the snort she heard that she was sure was from Kakashi. Raya didn't snort. Haruka snorted – often – but Raya absolutely did not snort.

"I hope you don't think I'm crazy or anything. Because I'm not. I swear."

It sounded stupid, even to her ears. What was it with him that made her sound so stupid? She growled inwardly.

"That's what they all say," he chuckled lightly. Haruka's eyes watched him, listening to that velvety chuckle. It was so smooth, the way it rolled so gently in her ears. She felt her heartbeat quicken when he turned a smiling eye towards her. Blushing, she looked down at her aching feet. _What's wrong with me? He's a jerk, he's mean, he's a pervert, he's -- _

_Absolutely wonderful._

Haruka's eyes widened slightly. She chewed her lower lip, ignoring the pain that erupted inside it. She was unknowingly providing Kakashi with a full view of her emotions, and normally, this would not sit well with her. But she was distracted, with an unconscious Raya hanging over her numb body, and Genma's fate hanging in her hands, and Kakashi's delicious laugh still ringing pleasantly in her ears. The wind grew in power, gusting at her relentlessly. Her eyes shifted to the left, venturing a gaze into the darkest of shadows, and she frowned. Were those _faces_ she saw in the shadows?

A sharp crack suddenly sounded overhead. Haruka's gaze snapped up and she barely had time to gasp as she shoved Raya swiftly aside. Something heavy collided against her shoulder with a powerful impact, sending her aching body sprawling in the mud. Something popped excruciatingly in her shoulder. Kakashi shouted her name, but she didn't reply, feeling too much pain to muster up words.

He was beside her in an instant, helping her to her feet gently. There was a suctioning sound as the mud fought passionately to keep her down, but she stood up, swaying slightly as she blinked back stars. The pain was incredible, her shoulder throbbing as if it had it's own pulse. She thought she felt a trickle of blood trailing down her back, but she didn't care to check. Kakashi kept her steady as she glanced down at her dislocated shoulder, vaguely aware of a monstrous branch on the ground.

"Ouch," was all he said. Haruka somehow found that comforting.

"Ouch," she agreed, and in a swift movement, she popped her arm back in place, trying to ignore that sickening crack or the sudden spark of new pain. She looked up, dazed, realizing that Kakashi was no longer holding Genma.

_Well, duh, _she thought rather stupidly._ How else did he help me up?_

"Thanks," she said absently, and she turned around, moving towards where a groaning Raya sat beside a slumped over Genma. Kakashi, though, stopped her, grasping her good shoulder and wheeling her around to face him. Her heart thundered at their close proximity, despite the pain she was in.

"Are you okay?" His dark eye was slightly worried. Haruka frowned at him, swaying on the spot.

"I'm fine," she lied, purposely meeting Kakashi's unnerving gaze, trying to mask the agony she felt. She knew he'd see right through her if she avoided his gaze like she had often done the past three days. She had a feeling he'd see through her anyway, though.

His eye narrowed. She held her breath, waiting. "Are you sure?" There was a persistent tone in his voice now.

She glared at him. "I'm _fine_," she repeated irritably. "F-i-n-e. Fine. Let's _go_ now, before we all catch pneumonia and die of this fucking cold!"

His face hardened for the briefest of moments. It was just a bare tightening of the jaw and then it was gone, replaced with the indifference he always seemed to shoulder.

Very, very cruelly, he patted her injured shoulder. The pain roared in her arm and back.

"I'll take your word for it then," he said quite cheerfully, releasing her abruptly. Haruka struggled to catch her balance before he saw that she obviously _wasn't _fine. But then again, he already suspected that, didn't he? He had only been looking out for her, and though it warmed her heart to realize that, it also irritated her. Haruka could take of herself; she'd been taking care of herself for a long time. She felt rather guilty, however, for being so rude, but she pushed those thoughts away with a hasty shove, telling herself that he could be an insufferable idiot himself. Surely that warranted rudeness and disrespect?

He couldn't be _that_ sensitive, she reasoned. But as they set off, Haruka cleverly disguising her pain, she realized that he _could_ be that sensitive. He had doubled his speed, and regardless of her own speed, she was so fatigued that she could hardly keep up. Her shoulder and back flamed with excruciating pain and she was aware of a slight wound across her shoulder blades. This was only worsened by the fact that the now-conscious Raya still required her help to move. But they continued onward, until they met Kankuro and Sakura. Kakashi didn't talk to her, which wasn't out of the norm, really, as they never had any sort of substantial conversation, but she couldn't help but feel rather snubbed when he ventured small talk with Sakura, Kankuro, and even Raya. Haruka made no effort to join in their stupid conversation. If Kakashi was going to be immature about a stupid comment, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of blowing up.

By the time they found the impatient Hanajima and the restless Naruto, Haruka was livid with Kakashi. He studiously ignored her and everything she said, cutting her off rather swiftly with a condescending glance. Haruka's loathing for him increased tenfold. And in spite of this, she found herself even more attracted to him in this surly state. His hostile disposition remained hidden from everyone else, saved only for _her_. In a way, she felt special. But she was still livid. Naturally. Why couldn't _he_ get hit by a stupid branch and hide his pain from everyone? Her glance wandered toward him and she realized he could very well pull off hiding his pain.

Their group of eight continued on back to Suna. Haruka's body ached a fright, but she refused to bring attention to it. That would require admitting to Kakashi that she was not f-i-n-e and holding up the treatment Genma desperately needed. And she couldn't forget the fact that it would show them, or _him_, her weakness, and she didn't want that. She had enough people looking down on her abilities; she didn't need some stupid Copy Nin to do the same.

So she shouldered her pain with a tight lip and hard eyes, saving her anguished cries for when she was locked in a hotel room. The torment was so mind-blowing that she hardly listened to a word Kakashi said about going to separate hotels, to ward off suspicion in case the missing-nin had allies. She vaguely heard something about her taking care of Genma, since he needed care and Sakura's chakra was near spent on healing Kankuro, and someone pressed bills in her hand. She merely nodded her head, tired, and exchanged a swaying Raya for an unsteady Genma, who was flickering in and out of consciousness. And they took off towards different hotels within the slumbering town. Haruka was proud of herself for ignoring Kakashi's lingering gaze as she walked away.

Genma leaned against her heavily. She had to bite back a grunt as she struggled to get him to the hotel. Part of her was relieved that he was finally awake, but another part of her tittered anxiously. _He needs to rest! He shouldn't be awake and walking around..._ But he wasn't walking – not on his own, at least.

"Haruka..."

She looked up into his hazel eyes. She hadn't realized how honest and innocent they looked. Maybe it was because his perverse grin had disappeared hours ago.

"Yes?" Her voice sounded weak to her own ears. She poorly hid a flinch and managed to move towards the hotel, relieved that the rain had finally let up. The wind was not as merciful though, blowing against her and Genma relentlessly.

"Never thought I'd get to spend a night with you..."

She snarled at him. She should've figured he'd make jokes.

"You are a sick and lewd bastard, Genma," she hissed at him. "Now shut up and focus on walking, else I'll faint and fall."

"If you fall, I'll fall too..."

"Shut up," she growled, knowing perfectly well where the conversation would lead if he continued to speak. "Let me rephrase what I said before: If you don't try to walk, I will leave you lying in the mud to rot and freeze to death until morning, when I shall promptly pick you up and visibly chop your balls off so all can see what happens to perverts who are stupid enough to get wounded like you."

"Ouch," he winced, his thighs convulsively tightening to protect his lower regions. Haruka smiled victoriously to herself when he made the effort to move slightly, effectively lifting a good portion of his weight off her. His shadowed eyes closed as she led them toward a crooked looking hotel.

"Thank you, Genma," she sighed with relief. She entered the hotel, not bothering to remember its mediocre name. It was shabby, at best, with fading paint and floral wallpaper that reminded her of her late grandmother's home. It even smelled like her grandmother, a generic scent of dried flowers and herbs, something akin to potpourri. She approached a wide, antique looking counter, looking for _anyone _of importance.

"Ahem."

Her gaze fell automatically. _Holy shit, someone shorter than me!_ Genma seemed to be thinking alone the same lines when he hid his weakened chuckle with a cough.

The owner of the hotel was a shrimp of a person,just barely reaching the top of the counter without the help of a stool. With wide eyes that bugged out in an eerie fashion and thick lips that looked as if they were permanently puckered, the man was a far cry from good looks. His atramentous hair was slicked back with copious amounts of oil, gleaming greasily beneath the fluorescent lighting. Those large eyes looked them over swiftly, as if deeming whether or not they were worthy of staying at his hotel. It was apparent that they weren't suited to his taste when an artificial smile spread across his small, condescending face. Haruka didn't blame him – she resembled a drowned kitten, with a ripped shirt and various scrapes, holding up an injured, pallid man clad in a blood-soaked shirt. They didn't exactly scream 'rich and generous'.

"May I help you, sir and madame?" Haruka disguised a flinch as a long blink when she heard his nasally voice. His eyes darted between her and Genma, obviously wondering why she was helping him up.

"One room please," Haruka said sweetly, trying her hardest to appear polite and likable. She didn't think it would work, as she didn't really ooze charm like Raya did. She wasn't the most charismatic of people. Maybe making an effort to smile would work... Kakashi did say she looked nicer when she smiled.

_Bastard,_ she thought spitefully, ignoring the sudden warmth that spread throughout her frozen body. Never the less, she took Kakashi's words to heart and smiled genuinely at the man.

Apparently, it worked. He returned the smile with kind one of his own, as if he had forgotten how much of a failure they looked as customers, and quickly looked through his records with a vigor she was _sure_ had not been there before. After a few minutes, a frown line appeared between his barely-there brows.

"We have a room with a double bed -- "

"Nothing with two singles?" Haruka cut in desperately, purposely adding a grievous note to an already pained voice. The man pursed his lips and looked down again, searching for an alternative. Haruka's heart fell when he looked up and shook his head.

Haruka heaved a saddened sigh, her shoulders rising and falling with the sound. Genma was trembling, though from exhaustion or amusement, she knew not. The man looked between them, puckered lips drawn in a thoughtful line.

"If it's any consolation, I could pull up a cot for one of you?" There was honest note in his voice as he looked at Haruka.

Her smiled widened into a beaming one. "That's so thoughtful of you! We would appreciate that very much!" She heard a murmured sigh of assent in her ear. When the man turned away to accommodate them, Haruka pinched Genma's arm hard with her nails. He gave a loud hiss, wearily pulling his arm away.

It wasn't long until they were comfortably situated in their room, which Haruka was displeased to find that it smelt of laundry detergent and bleach. It was an adequately sized room with a bathroom to the side and a large, comfortable bed pushed against the center of a lavender wall. The innkeeper had pulled up the cot near the foot of the bed, apologizing profusely for it's unworthiness as a sufficient bed. With a very wide and flirtatious smile to the owner of the hotel, she pulled a discount for their one night in the room. He left them almost reluctantly and Haruka gently closed the door and slid down its length until she was curled up in a ball on the floor.

Genma watched her from the bed, frowning. Haruka ignored him. Her body was quivering and the cold, hard floors felt even colder beneath her thin, damp clothes. The inflamed pain upon her shoulder and back combated the chill with a burning fervor.

"Haruka?" Genma's hoarse voice tore her from her despair and she looked up with glazed eyes. She quickly became aware and alert when she noticed how pale the shivering shinobi was. Bracing herself for an explosion of throbbing along her back, she stood and made her way over to the full bed, gently removing her pack. She abandoned distressed Haruka and quickly adopted the guise of professional Haruka.

The exhaustion was affecting him, she could see. His eyes were drooping and he would blink hastily every few seconds in a hopeless attempt to stave off the fatigue. Smiling slightly to herself, she set about to checking his chest wound and reinspecting his ribs to see if there were any fractures she had missed before. There were none, thankfully, as she was sure she didn't have enough chakra to heal bones. Though his injury had been effectively 'healed', his body still felt the effects of such a drastic wound and he would have to recuperate for the next few days by taking it easy.

When she was satisfied that she had done all she could for his injuries, she helped him change into a set of dry clothes that had only been _slightly_ dampened by the rainstorm and left him to sleep, ignoring his teasing remarks that she had bedazzled the innkeeper quite efficiently.

Darting off to the bathroom, she shut the door and removed her ripped shirt, swiftly pulling a black tank-top from her pack. Her bra was soaked and cold and she couldn't stand the feel of it, so she pulled some bindings out too. Hanajima often chastised her for bringing extra clothes, but missions that had gone awry had taught Haruka to always bring an extra shirt – and always a dark colored one at that. Too many incidents with light-colored shirts and water had taught her as much.

Haruka twisted her body, her face contorted with pain as she struggled to look at her bare back. A nasty bruise encompassed her shoulder in a massive shadow of blue, purple, and a sickly yellow. Hissing, she discovered she had been right in her suspicions of a wound – a thin scratch skipped over her shoulder blades, jagged and sticky with scarlet blood. It didn't help that the bruise on her shoulder continued on to her back and the nape of her neck.

Haruka honestly wondered how she had moved with such an atrocity burning at her back. Her shoulder was swelling slightly. Biting the inside over her cheek, she placed a hand gingerly atop her shoulder and focused chakra into the muscle.

Healing was always a pleasant experience for her. It calmed her and momentarily took away all her plights and fears. All that mattered was her concentration on the cool, green chakra flowing from within her body. The soothing chakra numbed her pain, slightly, as it worked to contain the swelling and to repair the damage in her muscles. She could feel the cut along her back closing up, her inflamed skin regrowing and sealing together in a sensation that comforted her.

That was all she dared do, for now. Opening her eyes that she had been unaware she had even closed, Haruka eyed the bruise. It had faded slightly, but at least she couldn't feel too much pain drumming a constant beat within her. Smiling satisfactorily to herself, she wrapped her bindings around her chest and pulled on her tank-top gently. She kept her shirt, as the tear was not a big one, and lay it out to dry instead. Grabbing a towel from the rusty towel rack, she proceeded to untie her tangled and wet hair. Closing the bathroom door, she began to dry her hair lazily, careful not to strain her shoulder.

Something was off.

Haruka looked up and stopped short, her expression of content fading away to one of absolute dislike. Slinging the towel around her neck, she glared at Kakashi's unwelcome person, perched in the window she was sure was closed before.

"How's Genma?"

His stupid voice didn't help her hammering heart. She tried to intensify her glare, purposely eradicating any sort of happiness from her face. She didn't need to smile at this hated man. He did not deserve her smile – a smile, she was stupidly proud to say, had 'bedazzled the innkeeper'. Her pride disappeared in a flash when she realized Kakashi was the one who told her to smile more.

_Bastard, taking all the credit for my charm! Pompous ass._

"Talking to me again, are you?" Her voice was tight and controlled as she turned her back to him, stalking over to Genma's body. Her eyes flickered over his still body warily. _Good. Sleeping._

"No. Just making sure you haven't killed Genma yet."

She didn't hear him step foot in the room. Turning around with a badly-hidden sigh, she gasped loudly to find him standing right before her. Haruka clutched her heart desperately, slapping a hand over her face.

"_Don't_ scare me like that!" she hissed, stepping around his intrusive body as she tried to ignore that overwhelming scent of sandalwood and utter masculinity. Her heart sped even faster, much to her chagrin.

"Hmm..." He looked over Genma's body and shook his head gently. "You'd probably end up killing him by morning." His eye twinkled when he turned around to face her, and Haruka was struck by just how aloof he was.

She rolled her eyes. "Worry about yourself, not Genma. I have half a mind to paralyze you from the neck down and take you to the woods and bury you alive." She adopted a mockingly thoughtful expression, tapping her chin ponderously. Something akin to a snort and chuckle sounded – or the offspring of a snort and chuckle if they were to get together.

"How's your arm?" His voice was light, almost conversational, but she quickly detected the dark tone underlying it. Haruka whirled around to face him, gasping again when she found him even closer than before. His dark eye was unreadable, a shadowed blue that mystified her to no end...

She stepped back, partially to pull her out of the reverie she had been falling into and partially to glare fiercely at his stoic face. Her mouth opened to snap rather vigilantly and ferociously at him, but as she glared at him, she found a worried look in his eye.

Guilt quickly consumed her.

Turning away hastily, she looked down and fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, perfectly aware of his eyes upon her. "It's fine," she murmured quietly.

She heard an aggravated sigh, muffled a touch by that infernal mask on his face. Haruka looked at him quickly, filled with a sudden urge to rip it off his face and --

Her eyes widened faintly when the unexpected image of kissing him fiercely was burned into her retinas. Her imagination began to run wild with crazy thoughts and ideas of what he looked like, how his lips would feel against hers, how her fingers would tangle in his gleaming, slightly damp hair... She could hear his voice murmuring her name over and over...

"Haruka?"

She looked up, glazed eyes sliding back into focus. "Huh?"

Kakashi gave her a strange look. "Are you okay?"

Haruka suddenly seemed to realize where she was and she felt her face flush from the intense images her mind had conjured up. She tried to muster up the irritation she felt she was obligated to feel, but she found herself merely staring where she assumed his mouth was...

She needed to restrain her mind. And her body. She could feel the scalding blush on her cheeks. Kakashi probably thought she was deranged; she would too if her comrade went from glaring to blushing at erratic moments when glaring and blushing were not called for. And she couldn't forget the fact that this 'comrade' would be slightly touched in the head. Of course, this comrade was actually her...

She remembered Kakashi's presence, finally, who looked bemused. He was probably a little unnerved by the rapid tornado of emotions present on her face. She flashed a smile she was sure would seem uncharacteristic to him.

"I'm fine," she said finally, stretching out her arms in a gesture that showed how fine she really was. She forgot the dulled pain in her shoulder and a sudden sting shot down her arm. In an instant she was stooped over and loosening the muscles of her arm, a pained look twisting her face.

"Fuck, that hurt..." Her voice was surprisingly calm for someone experiencing physical agony.

"Let me see." His voice was like a sigh, fading away too quickly for her liking.

Haruka looked up to find Kakashi, once again, standing before her. His eye looked exasperated now, covering worry as he bent awkwardly to look at her more closely.

Blinking back the tears that threatened to fall, the tears she hadn't even known had collected in her traitorous eyes, she sighed. In a ginger movement, she pushed her tangled hair back and pulled away the towel that partially enshrouded her shoulder.

He hid his wince poorly. Haruka nodded her head in agreement and seated her body on the cot by the bed. Kakashi moved to slump against the wall, watching her.

"Well..." He coughed into a fist. "I'm no healer, but that looks painful."

Haruka rolled her eyes with extreme exaggeration, hoping he wouldn't see her unshed tears. "No _shit_. Thanks for telling me that. I had absolutely _no_ idea."

"Like I said before, you are a very rude girl." Kakashi frowned slightly, staring at her bruise. "Why don't you heal it? I highly doubt we'll be running into any more missing-nin."

"Not enough chakra." Biting her lip, she craned her neck around to peer at Genma's sleeping form. She could just barely discern the gentle rise and fall of his chest._ Still sleeping. Good. _She looked back at Kakashi's impassive face. An odd feeling tugged at her heart, something she couldn't recognize, but she was sure it bordered wistfulness and regret. "I kinda overstepped it when Naruto and I were dealing with our... decoy."

Silence hung in the air, dark and brooding. Haruka probably would've felt uncomfortable, had it been anyone else. Instead, she felt secure.

This worried her to no end.

"You shouldn't have hid your injury," Kakashi said calmly, his even gaze trained on her face. Haruka's dull stare traveled lazily towards him. She shrugged with one shoulder.

"You saw the branch fall on me," she pointed out with a sarcastic roll of the eyes. "Wasn't that a big clue?"

He raised an eyebrow. Haruka could tell he was frowning. She returned his frown with a mocking one of her own.

"You said you were fine, so I decided to take your word for it." His warm voice petered out into irritation. Haruka suddenly felt the urge to jump up and laugh victoriously.

"Well, then, Hatake Kakashi, I suppose I should let you know that I lie. A lot." She flashed a half-smile, letting her gaze fall to her shoulder. _What an ugly bruise_, she thought self-consciously. Glancing towards Kakashi, she threw her damp towel over the dark splotch.

He looked thoughtful. She decided she liked this look on him. It was probably one of the few moments where true emotion flickered on his face – though his face was all but hidden from her. It didn't really matter that he always seemed thoughtful around her, she just appreciated the moment. The emotion was brief, momentary, but she enjoyed the flicker of his mysterious character in his eye.

Her eyes watched as he crossed his arms lazily, her gaze slowly roaming upwards, resting on his gleaming _hitaite_. A curiosity filled her, an itching curiosity that left her yearning to pull off his forehead protector just to glimpse his eye. Questions sprouted sporadically in her mind – questions about his youth, his life as a young _shinobi_ during the war, about the young medic-nin who had performed the eye transplant on him. She suddenly wanted to know more about _him_, about his daily life, which she was sure was a bore because all she had seen him do was read dirty books and complain about how his ex-students no longer held any respect for him.

One question burned it's way to the forefront of her mind. Embarrassment flooded through her, warming her frozen body and she let her gaze fall to her feet. She began to wriggle her toes listlessly, disliking the feel of her sopping ninja sandals. Kicking them off, she continued to wriggle her toes.

"So were you lying when you said you didn't hate me?"

_Whoa. Random question!_

Haruka's eyes shot up to him and for a moment, she had to struggle with the blush she was sure was beginning to warm her cheeks. In an attempt to hide this instantaneous reaction to his interminable stare, she raised a brow and fixed him with an incredulous look of her own.

"If I recall, I told you I hated you afterward," she remarked, adopting Hanajima's matter-of-fact tone.

Something like an amused sound escaped Kakashi. Haruka wasn't sure what it was, but she liked it. And she didn't like that she liked it.

He unfolded his arms, jamming his hands into his pockets. Her eyes followed his movements with sharp eyes. She waited patiently for a reply, feeling giddy, surprisingly. This conversation was exhilarating, to say the least.

"Were you lying about that?" There was amusement in his voice. Haruka blinked at him, nonplussed. He was _good_, she admitted begrudgingly to herself.

"What kind of question is that?" she asked, taken aback.

Kakashi's eye smirked at her. There was something downright devilish about that look.

Haruka wasn't sure she was supposed to feel an electrified tingle shoot up her spine simply because of a devilish look.

"So you don't hate me?" He was chuckling in an almost victorious fashion. She narrowed her eyes. He was steering this conversation all on his own.

"What makes you think _that!?_"

His chuckle deepened into that velvety laugh that entranced her. She forced herself not to close her eyes and relish the sound by biting her tongue hard. It was wrong. _Wrong!_ She would approach the Kazekage with a complaint about that – laughs that sexy _needed_ to be banned. She wasn't sure she would be able to function if he kept laughing like that around her. It was a fucking _distraction!_

Temari would probably point out to her that it was more than his laugh, but Haruka would probably smack the living daylights out of her for such an observation. Well, _duh_. Of course it wasn't just the laugh – the man was absolutely drool-worthy, in a very mysterious and aloof manner. She would have to appeal to Gaara-sama about that too – men that hot needed to be banned from the business. Really, a mask wouldn't cut it.

Haruka's thoughts faded away when his smooth voice accompanied his mesmerizing laugh.

"You avoided answering outright. So you _obviously_ don't hate me. Which is a relief, really."

Haruka smiled half-heartedly. "I could've been lying about lying."

Kakashi raised a silver eyebrow. "That's preposterous," he drawled lazily, his eye trained on her.

Haruka shrugged, again with one arm, and stood up. She was sick of having to look up at him. Not that standing up would really change the situation, but it made her feel a heck of a lot better.

"It is _not_ preposterous. You don't know me well enough to claim that it is preposterous. For all you know, I could be preposterous like that all the time, thus making my 'preposterous' statement quite un-preposterous."

In times of stress, Haruka became illogical. And repetitive. Looking at Kakashi's overwhelming figure of complete manliness, breathing in his inviting scent that reminded her of the outdoors, and listening to his svelte laugh was stressing her out. Wildly.

Especially now that he was walking towards her. Two easy lopes and his imposing figure was before her, his scent dizzying her completely. Swallowing hard, she attempted to step back, but her calf brushed against the cold metal of the cot, making goosebumps rise on her flesh.

Her heart began to hammer when he lowered his face to hers. He was close enough for her to make out the flecks of gray in his dark blue eye. It reminded her of a storm, with gusty winds and silken clouds, filled with the wild and unpredictable temper of nature. She could see how long his lashes were and she was filled with an unexpected envy because guys always had the beautiful lashes that girls died for...

"Maybe I should get to know you better..." Her eyes fell to the mouth that moved gently behind the dark mask. The voice she heard was low and husky, filled with something that both terrified her and beckoned her. Her body felt very warm, standing so close to his.

_Holy shit. _If standing four feet from him had been stressful, it was nothing compared to what she felt now. Something was fluttering in her stomach, knotting and twisting as it flitted about and wreaked havoc on her nerves. Her eyes widened and she looked up into his dark, interminable eye.

Her mouth surprised the both of them.

"I think I'd like that..."

Something in his eye snapped. A conflict became evident to her, an inner struggle between man and beast. His gaze roamed her face in an achingly slow fashion until finally, his eye rested on her mouth. Just staring, hungrily, lustily. Haruka's heart was beating so fast she wasn't sure it was beating. His face loomed so close to hers, but so far... She found herself leaning forward unconsciously, despite the protests in her mind.

Her legs went weak when his finger curled around the edge of his mask, hooking the fabric and pausing for a perpetual moment. Her breath caught in her throat and she waited impatiently, her eyes fixed on his finger.

It began to move, slowly drawing the mask downwards. She held her breath, ecstatic and fearful and incredulous all at once.

Then her sensible part caught up with her.

This was the man who had saved her life when she was thirteen. When she was a _child_. A man who didn't even remember saving her insignificant life. This was a man she had known for all of three days, a man who seemed to read smut on an hourly basis and obviously didn't want to be anywhere near Sunagakure. This was the illustrious Copy Nin, sensei to the infamous Uchiha Sasuke, the rambunctious Uzumaki Naruto, and the intelligent Haruno Sakura.

This was a man that she desperately wanted to kiss but desperately wanted to smack.

Her eyes glued to his hooked finger, she was transfixed as it drew downwards. She couldn't hear anything besides the blood rushing through her veins and her pounding heart. Neither of them was breathing, she realized, both waiting for the other's reaction.

Haruka could not tear her gaze from his finger, but she was somehow struck by how monumental his stupid mask was. A bestial part of her yearned to see his face, a face that went unseen by many. The demure part of her was flummoxed. What the hell did he see in her that made her worthy of his lusty gaze?

What the hell did she see in him? Other than his broad shoulders and firm muscles and what seemed like a chiseled face beneath the mask. Not to mention his overwhelming scent of pure manliness and the woods and nature that made her want to fall against him and just breathe in his intoxicating smell. And the silken laugh that mesmerized her and his low, warm voice...

_Holy shit, something's wrong with me. _Eyes widening even more, Haruka stepped back and tripped on the edge of the cot she had forgotten about, gasping in surprise.

Kakashi caught her easily, effectively saving her from smashing her head against the foot of the bed frame. That would've been horrible. Blood everywhere, and she'd probably still be aching for Kakashi to kiss her senseless. Genma stirred in his sleep, mumbling gibberish.

Haruka looked up at Kakashi through her lashes, blushing furiously from embarrassment and irritation. He was holding her waist, keeping her steady as if he was perfectly aware of how mushy her unstable legs were. She swallowed hard, eyes quickly falling to his feet when she found him returning the same curious stare.

Just as quickly as she had tripped, he released her and moved away quickly.

"We'll meet in the woods tomorrow at seven. Take care of Genma. And fix your arm."

And he was gone, his lush scent lingering in his wake. His voice faded all too swiftly from her ears and she suddenly missed his presence, his warmth. Shivering involuntarily, she heaved a great sigh and perched herself on the cot, trying to ignore the unpleasant feel of the icy metal pressed against her flesh.

What would've happened if she hadn't tripped? Would he have kissed her? Would she have enjoyed it? Her heart thudded thunderously in reply, answering her unspoken question.

Desperate thoughts flooded her mind, joining the scoldings she inwardly gave herself and the burning questions that yearned to be answered. Kakashi was interested in her – that much she was aware of. She was obviously interested in Kakashi too. Somewhere, between the interest and attraction, were unvoiced issues that needed to be addressed.

Or did they? Haruka's heart clenched painfully. Did she want to pursue a relationship with the man?

_Three days, you idiot! Three days! You don't even know the man!_

_True, _she agreed with herself, although rather reluctantly. But maybe it wasn't coincidence that brought him to Suna...

Her mind instantly berated her. _You dimwit! He's from Konoha – he's at least ten years older. He's a pervert. He's a renowned shinobi of immense skill. He's... Hatake Kakashi! __Those are all sound reasons, idiot!_

Haruka rolled her eyes, grinding her back teeth in irritation. _Wow, I'm being persuaded by my own stupid conscience. It doesn't matter. Any type of relationship that's not platonic would be too awkward. Gaara would kick my ass if I ruined this program because I'm lusting after Kakashi._

Sighing, she stood up, unable to abide the dry taste that suddenly appeared in her mouth. She began to walk gingerly to her pack when an unpleasant noise pierced the silence.

"That was real smooth, Hayashi..."

_Holy shit, he's awake!?_

Gasping, Haruka whirled around and stared, aghast at Genma's sheepish person. Hazel eyes gazed at her arrogantly, seemingly unaware of his utter vulnerability. Haruka felt a silent fury flood through her. He had _listened_ in on the entire conversation? Then he knew – he knew what was going on!

Genma's pallid face paled even further when she furiously strode towards the bed. "W-wait, I didn't hear anything important, I swea – OW!"

Haruka grabbed his arm and twisted it painfully, ignoring the whimpering protests from the wounded _shinobi_. A scowl darkened her features.

"If you didn't hear anything, why'd you mention it?"

"What?" Genma's face contorted with pain when she increased the pressure on his arm. "The smooth comment!? Oh! Um..."

Haruka looked at him disgustedly and shook her head. "Save it, shit bag," she snapped, releasing his arm unkindly. Genma collapsed against his pillow with a poorly-hidden gasp.

Sighing, she guided her wearied form to the foot of the bed, drawing her knees to her chest and wrapping her shivering arms around her. The cold seemed to flood into the room now, raising more goosebumps on her chilled flesh. Unconsciously, she wished Kakashi hadn't left.

They were silent as they each gathered their own thoughts. The storm that raged outdoors was still easing up, Haruka noticed thankfully. The howling winds had been reduced to soft whispers, the relentless rain to a gentle drizzle that was off and on. Haruka let her gaze wander idly, taking in the room's appearance a second time. The lavender walls reminded her of her mother, she realized with distaste. She frowned and looked at her feet, disliking the way her toes resembled wrinkled prunes.

As she wriggled her frigid toes, Genma shifted restlessly in the bed, his own foot brushing against her back as he looked for a comfortable, pain-free position. A single grunt and more moaning springs, and all was silent.

"Kakashi seemed pretty pissed earlier..."

Almost silent.

Muscles clenching involuntarily, Haruka tightened her grip over herself, refusing to look Genma's way. She could feel his gaze boring a hole against the side of her face.

"Did he now?" she mused lightly. Out of the corner of her eye, Genma rose a brown brow, a smile spreading over his ashen visage.

"He doesn't let things affect him much... Wonder what happened tonight..."

Haruka's face hardened. She refused to give Genma the satisfaction of thinking he knew everything. Because he didn't know everything. He didn't know squat.

"Hm," she grunted in reply. _Bastard_, she thought scathingly.

He chuckled, as if reading her thoughts. "You don't know Kakashi well enough, I suppose. Wonderful guy. A bit on the quiet side though. A bit lethal at times, too. But maybe I need to see him from someone else's perspective. So let's have it – what do you think of him?"

Haruka's mouth shot off before she could actually think of an intelligent mature answer.

"He's a self-righteous bastard who doesn't give a fuck about anything because his head is stuck so far up his ass he can't see straight."

Genma was grinning. Knowingly. Haruka's heart fell when she realized he'd interpreted her words as a confession to her emotions. Groaning aloud, she let her head fall against her knees pathetically, chewing her shredded lips exasperatedly.

"Y'know, with all those little moans you make, I can see why Kakashi has a hard time keeping his eyes off you. Not saying you're not a pretty little thing, though, but all your sound effects make for the ultimate dirty thoughts."

Haruka's head whipped around so fast she was sure it would snap and fall off. It didn't, and she was left with a dull pain throbbing in her neck. Rubbing her nape gingerly, she glared at Genma, offended and slightly distraught by his lecherous comment.

"That's disgusting," she murmured, wrinkling her nose.

Genma chuckled softly, closing his eyes. "That's life, babe."

"_Your_ life, you sick little shit."

Another chuckle. Genma cracked open an eye, a twisted grin sitting perversely on his whitened face. Haruka shrunk back a little, intimidated by the utter dirtiness of it.

"Oh c'mon, you can't say you don't feel the same," he chortled amusedly.

Haruka mustered up the most evil glare she could to disguise her feelings. The end result was disastrous, she presumed, as Genma was now laughing at her hoarsely..

She pouted. _Life is not fair_.

Genma closed his eyes again, his lovely lips pulled into a smirk. "I'm always right, y'know."

"I haven't even _said_ anything!" Haruka protested weakly. Genma waved her off with a feeble twitch of his fingers.

"You don't have to. I have an eye for these things. Kakashi stares at you – understandable, naturally. You're fucking hot. You stare at Kakashi – not so understandable. Of all people, you should be staring at _me_. _I'm_ the sexy one."

Despite herself, a smile twitched at her mouth. Understandably, she didn't exactly agree with everything he said. "Cocky little thing, aren't you?"

His eyes twinkled mischievously. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"You lewd bastard."

Genma gave a frail cough. "Aside from the staring, there's the whole almost-kiss thing that just occurred," he murmured with a smirk. "Honestly, I've been waiting for it. Three days! Just get on with it! You don't even need a room – find a closet and fuck each other like I know you're dying to."

Haruka slapped her hands over her face, repressing a moan of exasperation. "Please, no more talk of fucking anyone. It's more complicated than that," she said, her voice muffled behind her fingers. Splitting her fingers, she peeked out at him meekly.

A feeble yet devilish laugh escaped him. "A confession! At last!"

Sighing, Haruka crossed her legs and leaned her back against the frame of the bed, facing Genma. A pang of hunger echoed in the recesses of her belly and she faintly remembered that the last time she had eaten was with Naruto. Her face fell. He returned her despaired expression with a customary smirk of his own.

"So? What are these complications?" He seemed almost eager. If Haruka hadn't been so aware of the current situation, she could've sworn she was sixteen years old and sleeping over at some bubbly girl's house, chatting about guys. But that wasn't the case, thankfully.

Genma probably wouldn't like being compared to a sixteen year old girl, though. A wry grin twisted at her lips, only to disappear when she remember what they were talking about.

"Well... There's the age difference, of course," she began uncertainly. Genma quickly tossed this con away, scoffing.

"You're what -- nineteen? He's twenty-nine. Ten years. Perfectly fine." Of course it was fine in his book. Genma probably banged girls younger than her. Her eye twitched. _Pervert._

He waved for her to continue. Frowning, she began to wring her hands nervously. _Should I mention that incident six years ago? He'll laugh at me for sure..._

Haruka's eyes flickered upwards, gazing into the shinobi's open, hazel eyes. He smiled at her encouragingly, his somehow-honest gaze compelling her to speak to him, to let down her walls. Suspicion itched through her, because how could such a perverse guy make her want to tell him everything? Her suspicion was rapidly destroyed by the clarity upon his face.

Biting her lip, she let her gaze fell to her wringing hands.

"Well... I've met Kakashi once before..." Her voice was so soft, she hardly heard it. She kept her eyes lowered, fidgeting nervously.

"What?" He couldn't hide the surprise from his voice. He didn't need to; Haruka had expected it.

"Six years ago. He saved my life. Sorta. Then he stuck around to irritate me." A scowl found it's place on her mouth. She decided it would be best if she left her ungratefulness out of the story.

"Um... how is that a problem?"

Haruka's brows knitted together and she looked up at him, confused. "Genma, I was thirteen years old. There's a ten year difference between us – I was still in diapers when he was a _chuunin_, for heaven's sake. Are you trying to tell me that an age difference like that wouldn't disturb him the slightest? I'm three years older than his _students. _His students!"

"Ex-students," Genma corrected absently.

"Fine, ex-students," she amended crossly. She met his gaze evenly, her face hard. "It still doesn't change anything. Any sort of relationship would most likely jeopardize our team and future missions. Kakashi-san doesn't strike me as the sort of man who would jeopardize anything."

Genma rolled his eyes. "You're just like him, you know." He said it like it was a bad thing.

"That's nice to know," she remarked dryly. It didn't hit her until after she had spoken that it _did_ sound like something he'd say.

They both fell silent, dealing with their own thoughts. The gentle patter of rain lightened the atmosphere. Haruka heaved a sigh, closing her eyes wearily.

"He doesn't remember you, does he?"

Haruka winked open an eye, studying Genma's ponderous face. All perversion seemed to have fled. She shook her head slowly.

"Do you think he would've tried to kiss me if he remembered me as an obnoxious thirteen year old?"

Genma's silence was all the answer she needed. Sighing again, she stood up gingerly and sauntered towards her cot.

"I shouldn't have kept you up. Get some rest..."

"You can keep me up anytime you'd like..."

Haruka shook her head, breathing a light chuckle. "Shut up and sleep, you bastard."

"Yes, sir."

Smiling to herself, she switched off the lights and returned to her cot, slipping her small body under the covers gently. The minutes ticked by silently, but her thoughts were a loud and endless flurry that tormented her needlessly. She bit her lip and flipped onto her back gingerly, staring up at the splotchy ceiling, trying to discern images in the strange shapes.

"Genma?" she suddenly whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Hn?"

"Don't tell Kakashi, please..."

"Hn."

She smiled in the darkness. "Thank you Genma. Good night."

"Shut up..."

Her smile dimmed slightly as she listened to his breathing even out. Containing a sigh, she turned on her side, wary of her shoulder, and yearned for sleep to embrace her.

_Good night Kakashi. You fucking ass._

* * *

**Author's Note:** I've been too lazy/busy to leave any notes (normally they're really, really long) but I thought I'd leave one today. Heh, thank you all who've add this story to their alerts or favorites! Needless to say, I was shocked -- no, AM shocked! So thanks! I'm ecstatic that others are reading this story. Heh.. Holy shit, it's 2:43 AM right now, so I'll just save this and upload it. Thank you again! And I **_hate_** formatting on FF. It sucks!

- Ha-san


	7. Six: Strictly Platonic

**Chapter Six  
Strictly Platonic**

"Haru! Wake up Haru!"

Haru? No one had called her that in years.

Blinding sunlight greeted brown eyes, sparking a shooting pain in a weary head. Groaning aloud, Haruka slapped a hand over her face in a bleary attempt to block out the sunlight. It filtered in anyway though, illuminating her thick mop of hair with a halo of white.

"Holy crap, Miyako, what _time_ is it?" she moaned, her voice cracking. A light laugh, like bells to her ears, tinkled gentle. Warm hands tugged at Haruka's arm gently, and in a swift movement the soft blanket that enshrouded her groggy form was yanked away.

"It's seven o' clock, silly Haru. Now get up!"

A sudden realization shot through Haruka. _That voice..._ With a gasp, she sat up straight and stared into the luminous, round eyes of her fourteen year old sister. Shock gave her a stinging slap to the face.

"You're okay!" Haruka threw her spindly arms around her older sister, relief coursing through her body.

Miyako tugged away, laughing softly. "Of course I'm okay, you monkey!" She tousled her sister's hair and pulled Haruka into her loving embrace.

The sweet scent of jasmine drifted over her and she closed her eyes, inhaling deeply and relishing the warmth of her sister's body. Haruka tilted her head to the side, gazing up at Miyako.

She was a beautiful girl, her porcelain skin warmed by the glow of the morning light. The curve of her soft nose ended with a cute tilt upwards that accentuated her rosy lips. Caramel curls tinged with a coppery hue tumbled to the small of her back, gathered loosely by a black, silk ribbon. Her slight body was longer than Haruka's, but still short and petite, lacking the hard muscle a _shinobi_ needed.

A surge of envy echoed throughout her and she wished she looked like her sister. But Haruka was a tiny eleven year old, short and tiny with scrawny arms and legs like twigs. Her dark hair was tangled with branches and leaves from the previous night of her secret training, her golden visage slightly dirtied by streaks of grime she had accumulated during her many falls. She was a wild animal next to her elegant and subdued sister.

"Oka-san was furious when she found out you were training last night," she whispered, gazing off. Haruka followed Miyako's gaze towards the window, slightly ajar. Warm rays filtered through, flooding her cramped room in a golden wash of luminous light. Glancing around, she noticed her gear was missing. Hadn't she left it on the floor last night?

"What did she do?" Haruka asked casually, trying to hide the rising distress that mounted in her voice.

Miyako glanced down, briefly, her flawless face suddenly somber. "I'm sorry, Haruka. She took all your weapons and gear..." Her voice trailed off.

Haruka's heart plummeted, her mouth suddenly dry. "What'd she do with them?"

Miyako hung her head, as if ashamed of herself.

"She destroyed them..."

Miyako's regretful face faded away. A bright room materialized, gleaming hardwood floors and open windows that granted entry to luminous sunlight. A slightly taller Haruka stood by a small side table, hunched over a phone. A long curtain of dark tresses hid her childish face from view.

"Raya, I'm sorry, I can't meet you today," she murmured apologetically, her mouth pressed against the black phone. She glanced fervently behind her at a small but imposing figure that stood impatiently.

"It's okay, Ha-san, I understand... How's tomorrow?" Haruka bit her lip, throwing another glance over her shoulder.

"Hurry it up, Haruka! We have to go!" The shrill voice made her wince.

A scowl formed on her lips. "Tomorrow sounds great. I have to go and suffer in the company of a bunch of bitches now. See you lat – OW! Oka-san!"

The phone clattered to the hardwood floor, but no one seemed to notice, except for the surprised and slightly worried Raya. Hayashi Kimiko kept a firm grip on her daughter's ear lobe, pinching especially hard when Haruka refused to follow her out the door.

"You are not to use such language in my household!" Harsh eyes the color of mahogany glared down at her.

Haruka sneered up in her mother's face, despite the stinging pain in her ear. "Whatever."

Her mother's alabaster face reddened and a sudden shiver of fear shuddered down Haruka's spine. Kimiko was a fiercely beautiful woman, with alluring eyes that shone prettily, framed by thick, luxuriously curled lashes. The curve of her upturned nose was straight, accentuating full, scarlet lips. Her prominent cheekbones were highlighted by a shimmering arc of sunlight, her wintry complexion glowing ethereally. Gleaming tresses the color of auburn were smoothed back into an illustrious knot, a tumble of curls streaming down her erect back.

Her grip on Haruka was painful. The twelve year old stumbled out into the sandy streets, wincing in pain as her mother led her along self-righteously.

Fifteen year old Miyako stood a ways off talking to an elderly woman. She was smiling, clad in a pale purple yukata, detailed with light pink flowers. Breaking off mid-sentence, Miyako stared in shock as her mother strode by purposefully, Haruka in tow.

"Oka-san! What are you doing?!" she gasped, eyes wide.

Haruka blinked back the tears as she half-walked and half-crawled after her mother, her body stooped and hunched over. People on the street were pointing at her, shaking their heads and whispering. Haruka refused to let the humiliation bring her further down. Miyako looked alarmed and quickly bid farewell to the elderly woman with a swift bow. Regaining her composure, she caught up with Haruka and Kimiko.

"Mother!?"

Kimiko glanced briskly at her elder daughter, quickly assessing her appearance. There was disapproval in her eyes. "I'm teaching my daughter a lesson. Do you object, Miyako?"

The gaze she fixed her was unnerving, penetrating, all-knowing. Haruka watched Miyako through watery eyes, silently encouraging her sister to be the rebel for once. She waited with baited breath, gazing upon Miyako's stunning visage.

Kimiko's pace was swift and agile; Miyako had no trouble matching her mother's strides, but as her penetrating gaze became more intrusive and impatient, she fell back, stumbling slightly in her steps.

"No, Oka-san," she murmured softly, voice barely heard over the din of the bustling streets.

Haruka's heart fell. Miyako had backed down. _Again._

Kimiko made a scoffing noise. "Good. Now straighten your posture, Miyako. You're so crooked I can see a hump on your hunched back."

Gritting her teeth, she let her mother haul her to the teashop where other prissy and traditional women waited, watching her sister sadly as she straightened her already-erect posture. _Poor Miyako_, she thought grievously, not for once thinking her feelings were misplaced.

The intricate teahouse loomed before them, the threat of a horrible afternoon hanging with an air of dread. Fake laughter sounded as her mother pushed open the door, sweeping over the threshold gracefully, the image of refined beauty and eloquence. Haruka remained stooped at her waist, her mouth drawn into a spiteful line.

"Kimiko-san! How nice of you to join us!"

A serene smile adorned her lips as she glided towards a pair of elaborate women, gaudy in their fashions and dressed to impress. One was a massive female with a face painted excessively with make-up. Her fine, black hair was pulled back into a tight coil at the nape of her neck. Rings adorned her sausage fingers like fancy baubles.

The other woman was much the opposite, tall and imposing, her long face resembling not a horse's, but a giraffe's somehow. Flowing red hair was brushed and curled pristinely, arranged with a taste for perfection that made Haruka want to gag. Piercing blue eyes overlooked Kimiko and jumped straight to Haruka's crooked form, glaring with disapproval as she took in the pre-teen's garb.

Haruka smirked, despite her demeaning position. She hadn't had time to change and Kimiko had long ago given up trying to make the girl dress modestly and tastefully. Hiding a snicker when the giraffe-faced woman's eyes widened at her apparel, she puffed out her developing chest purposefully. She was clad in fitted black shorts that hugged her rear snugly and a cranberry red tank-top that did little to hide her black sports bra.

It was so funny how her training clothes made her mother's circle of friends gasp...

"Chikako, Kotone... How are you today?"

Haruka was thankful when Kimiko finally released her ear to greet her friends. Rubbing it begrudgingly, she stepped back and watched the awful exchange of embraces and false compliments. Miyako suddenly nudged her, tilting her head pointedly towards Chikako-san and Kotone-san.

Wrinkling her nose, she staggered forward and mumbled a polite greeting, trying to ignore that burning glare she felt her mother giving her, right between her shoulder blades. Scowling to herself, she embraced the sickeningly obese Chikako, trying not to gag as a thick scent of rose oil overwhelmed her nostrils.

"Haruka-chan, you've..." Chikako's voice trailed off as she looked Haruka over, struggling to find the right word. "You've grown!"

With a fake smile, she nodded her head humbly and moved to embrace Kotone's skeletal figure. The sharp scent of freesia drifted through her nose, joining the lingering scent of roses. Haruka felt the bile rise in her throat.

She was left alone with Miyako as the three women were pulled into a conversation involving the latest gossip, all set with the scandalous moments of _"who's with who now"_ and _"she did what!?"_. Haruka didn't bother to hide her distaste as she watched her mother join in on bashing a young woman who had been impregnated by a noble from an aristocratic clan.

She and Miyako moved to sit alongside the women, edging their seats slightly away in a futile effort to give them their privacy. Haruka tried to block out their sickening voices.

"Not even married! Horrible, isn't it!?"

Kimiko nodded her head somberly. "She shouldn't have been fooling around with him in the first place."

Kotone shook her head, frowning in an extremely unkind fashion. "I daresay she deserved what she got. _I_ heard that she's been trying to get money out of him. Greedy little tramp..."

Haruka exchanged a disgusted glance with Miyako and bit back the urge to shriek at her foolish mother and her friends. Miyako patted her leg consolingly, warning her against lashing out furiously. _How can they be so heartless?_

"Mm... If I didn't know you, I'd say dear Haruka is headed on the same path..."

Chikako gasped. Miyako stiffened, muscles rigid.

Haruka's blood ran cold and quite suddenly, she could hear naught but the thunderous pounding of her racing heart. She slowly raised her gaze to Kotone's smug face.

"What was that, Kotone?" Kimiko's face was impassive, but Haruka could see a definite tightness in her jaw and neck. Her mother's fury was just barely restrained. But one wrong move and Kotone would find herself on the receiving end of one of most gruesome verbal beatings of her life.

She didn't seem worried. Smirking lightly, the woman raised a dainty cup of green tea to her thin lips, sipping pristinely. Setting the cup down, she leaned back in her chair, her face the epitome of nobility.

"You don't see it? Haruka is consorting with the likes of _shinobi_. I'm sure we are of the same minds when I say that such a profession is _not_ for young women like herself. These things should be left to the strong of body, mind, and heart. _Kunoichi_ are dishonorable, and Haruka seems to be using her body for such vulgar things already."

_Bitch, _Haruka thought spitefully. _Oka-san's gonna kick your ass. No one talks about the Hayashi girls like that!_

Haruka's icy face warmed to one of smug retribution. Her eyes darted towards her mother's rapidly, her little body quivering from the exhilarating knowledge of what was to come. A smirk twisted at her mouth.

_C'mon, Oka-san..._

Eyes unreadable, Hayashi Kimiko did something Haruka had never expected. She smiled in agreement. Without a glance towards her youngest daughter, she gave the slightest of nods.

"I suppose you are right..."

Haruka's mouth fell open, astonishment gleaming in her eyes. Shock coursed an electric path throughout her body as her mother spoke words that devastated her entirely.

"I've tried to get the foolish girl to spend more time in the shop, but she insists on 'training' every day. Girls of her age and status should be preparing for their futures, not their untimely deaths. She just won't have it though and she refuses to help with customers. I swear, the child will be the death of me..."

And then the apologetic tittering began, filled with nasty comments regarding Haruka's improper behavior. It wasn't Kimiko's fault, they assured her. Some women were just unfortunate enough to have wild, unstable daughters who did as they pleased. Somehow, it was all Haruka's fault, and Kimiko was not to blame for her daughter's unbridled passion for fighting.

Haruka's heart fell and fell with each passing second, each nod from her weepy mother stabbing at her relentlessly. A chill entered her body, freezing her to her core. Her muscles felt tense, rigid, and as she sat there, completely unseen by the fretting women, an unadulterated fury began to melt the ice coating her bones.

"A pity she isn't more like Miyako... Look, she's turned out splendid!"

She clenched her fists, gaze burning a hole into the spherical table.

"There's still time to fix her faults before the suitors come waltzing in. She's a fetching girl, she just needs a proper wardrobe..."

Gritting her back teeth painfully, she bowed her head further, striving to remove their voices from her head.

"She's... still a virgin, is she not?"

Haruka threw back her head and _screamed_. Her eyes were shut tight and her throat was constricting agonizingly and the women were crying out in surprise, but she didn't give a damn. All that mattered was that they were insulting her very being, offending her very soul, and she could not do a thing about it. Not while Kimiko was there.

"Haruka! Haruka, stop it!"

Angry tears left scalding trails on her reddening face and she opened her sopping eyes, dizzily taking in the furious faces of the three women. Miyako clutched her shoulder desperately, murmuring soothing nonsense in her ear, but she did not listen.

"Haruka!"

She merely screamed again, because the faces that stared back at her were not the ones of Kotone, Chikako, and her mother. They were not the faces of anyone, merely blank, like a fresh piece of clay that was ready to be molded into shape.

Fear stemmed in her heart and she stumbled back, pulling Miyako along with her. Crows laughed hatefully in the distance, their croaking voices piercing her ears. She tumbled to the floor, her sister falling on top of her. Haruka shrieked even louder, her heart swelling with pain and disbelief as she stared into Miyako's face.

The face that stared back at her was rotted and dead, the skin ancient and papery, the muscles and flesh ripped and torn to reveal parts of a cracked skull. She screamed as the eyes she had envied fell out, bleeding profusely, and when a beetle crawled out of a rip in her skin and into the empty socket of her eye. Bile rose in her throat.

Gagging, she weakly shoved the corpse off of her and staggered in her haste to get away. Voices echoed around her agonizingly, shrieking voices that said it was her fault her father had died, her fault that Miyako had died. Her throat felt raw and she stumbled towards the door. But the three women surrounded her, their faces eerily blank as they laughed frivolously at her. Desperate to escape, she lunged at them, her fingers gouging out the smooth flesh blindly. She scooped out the skin at random, a fresh flow of blood soaking her hands like the constant current of a river. It sprayed everywhere, painting her face with crimson.

She stumbled back with a gasp, gazing at her trembling hands in shock. Her eyes looked up shakily and she shrieked.

Raya, Temari, and Hanajima all gazed back at her, their faces solemn.

"Wake up Haruka!"

Gasping, Haruka shot up bed, her head smacking against Raya's. She promptly fell back, eyes wide as she clutched her throbbing brow.

Raya cried out in pain, clasping her forehead with a tight grip. She peered at Haruka's still form with worry. Temari and Hanajima huddled on either side of her.

"Are you okay, Haruka?" she whispered, eyes shining with concern.

Haruka nodded her head dumbly, staring straight up at the ceiling. Something was constricting her chest and she suddenly realized that she wasn't breathing. She drew in a long and shaky breath, eyes still wide and unblinking.

The scarlet walls of her bedroom frightened her, for they looked as if they were washed in blood. She was shivering, she realized, eyes darting to and fro, trying to escape the suffocating feeling that engulfed her.

The memories... the dream. It had all been so real. Gulping hard, Haruka fought to gain control over her choppy breathing, closing her eyes to hide the tears that collected.

She hadn't remembered that day in years. She tried not to, as it was as unpleasant as most memories involving her mother. But the dream... Suppressing a frightened gasp, she bit the inside of her cheek hard, completely ignoring the three presences that surrounded her lying figure.

_Miyako. Think of Miyako... _And she did, knowing the angelic face of her sister would sooth her bundled nerves. It came at a price, though, when a pain that she was well accustomed to throbbed in her heart. She would much rather face pain and desperate yearning rather then complete, mind-boggling fear.

"Haruka," Temari began, almost hesitantly. A long finger poked her waist gingerly.

Haruka let out a feral hiss. Her bed dipped, sagging as two more bodies rested their weight upon it.

"Leave me alone," she snapped hoarsely, opening her eyes to all three faces gazing somberly down at her. Temari's sapphire blue eyes gleamed, hesitant. Raya's emerald eyes shone with worry and something akin to guilt. Hanajima's diamond-like gaze looked thoughtful, only slightly concerned.

"You were screaming," Raya pointed out uncertainly, fidgeting slightly.

Haruka frowned. "I figured as much," she remarked dryly, disliking the crude sound of her broken voice. She rubbed her throat gingerly. A thought suddenly dawned her.

"What are you guys doing here?"

All three shifted uneasily, save for Hanajima, who merely looked speculative and rather wicked. Haruka's frowned deepened.

"Well?" she urged, eyes narrowing upon Raya's. The purple-haired teen bit her lip anxiously.

"Um... We're here because of the bet..." Haruka's eyes flashed dangerously, and Raya suddenly quickened her speech. "But you don't seem to be well so I'm not sure -- "

"Can it, Satoma! Haruka is going to go to the hospital in that damned costume or I'll kill you both. Got it?"

Raya didn't look alarmed. "What about Hanajima?"

Temari furrowed her pale brows, eyes thoughtful.

"She'd probably help me kill you two," she mused. Blue sought blue as she looked her way. "Am I right?"

Hanajima shrugged, raising her eyebrows in an unhelpful fashion.

Haruka let out a long groan that conveyed the physical agony, the mental torment, and the complete irritation she felt. Her stomach rumbled loudly and Raya looked down at her with concern.

"You guys are all shit bags," she commented lazily, wincing at the gravelly sound of her voice. _Great. I'm going to sound like a dead person for the rest of the day._

The three females grinned down at her. Well, not Hanajima. She only half-smiled. But that was a lot coming from her.

"We love you too, Ha-san!" Their voices chimed together in unison, making her scowl hatefully at them.

"I hate you. All of you."

Temari let out a high-pitched giggle, completely uncharacteristic for her, and squeezed Haruka's cheek almost lovingly. "Hurry up and get out of bed, you fool!"

Before she could respond, her arms were seized by Raya and Hanajima, who promptly hauled her from her warm and comfy bed. Haruka struggled desperately, her entire being against the repercussions of the ghastly bet. It didn't help that they towered over her and that she was exhausted from working at the hospital and when was the last time she had eaten? Haruka frowned as her stomach rumbled again.

"Please! No! I beg of you, rethink this Raya!" She decided to up the drama for their benefit, knowing they'd probably like it if she played along with their silly games. And if they were happy with her, they'd be more merciful upon her.

Raya and Hanajima had vice-like grips that rapidly made Haruka's arms sore, so she was quick to give up her struggle. Sagging, she hung her head in shame.

Temari snickered and knelt before her. Haruka raised her head slightly, quickly noticing a large canvas bag filled to the brim many things leaning against a red wall. Dread suddenly filled her. _What's in the bag?_

"You, little Haruka, shall take a shower while we raid your things. You look like shit," Temari sang playfully, tweaking Haruka's nose.

Haruka made a face. "You look like shit," she mocked in disturbing falsetto, bobbing her head derisively. "_You_ look like shit, Temari!"

The peppy blonde shook her head slowly, _tsking_ in disapproval. "Now, now, Haruka, no need to become so harsh. Go jump in the shower now."

Hanajima and Raya released her arms simultaneously. Scowling, Haruka straightened up, saddened to find that she was still many inches below them. She threw an imperious glare at Temari, puffing out her chest in a royal fashion.

"I shall _not_ take a shower, because then my hair will be frizzy for the rest of the day," she remarked haughtily.

Raya rolled her eyes, thwacking Haruka upside the head. "Don't wash your hair then, Baka-san!"

She rubbed the back of her head gently, half-turning to scowl at her green-eyed friend.

"How can you be so _rude_ to your elders, eh? I'll take a shower, you stupid tramps, but mark my words! You shall rue the day you decided to make a mockery of me!"

Always the one for drama, Haruka strode majestically to the bathroom, nose turned up as she crossed the threshold. The tiled floor was cool to her feet. Narrowing her eyes, she whirled around for effect, a halo of light from the bathroom's bulbs surrounding her body.

"Rue it, I say!"

And with those final words, she slammed the door shut. Or she would have, had she not miscalculated her next step and lost her footing. Gasping, Haruka slipped on the edge of an orange carpet, falling backwards on her rump.

The unladylike snorts of three young women trying desperately to quell their laughter sounded behind her. Eyes narrowing as she rubbed her sore rear, Haruka turned around and snapped at them, "Shut up! That wasn't funny!"

Temari burst out into giggles, tumbling backwards onto Haruka's bed with a bounce. Raya's face twisted comically as she tried not to join in.

Haruka glared daggers at them. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

Raya's cheeks ballooned out, her nostrils flaring as she repressed the laughter that longed to burst free. Hanajima remained impassive, an eyebrow raised in good humor.

Temari, however, continued to laugh uproariously, clutching her abdomen. Her milky face was flushed, wide eyes shimmering with tears as she howled.

"Oh my gosh, Haruka! You're such an idiot!"

Raya snorted. Haruka flashed her a glinting glare. She quickly sobered up, but her nostrils remained flared, her breath still held.

"Temari, I will paralyze you and chop you up into bits and roast you in my oven and feed you to your brothers in a casserole if you do not _shut the fuck up!_"

The eighteen year old howled even louder. "You'd lose balance while throwing needles at me... because you're so tiny! You'd fall flat on your face in the process too!"

Raya's face twitched. Temari continued between giggles, unaware of Haruka's pounding migraine, growling stomach, flushed face, boiling blood, and sore rump. Five factors that could prove devastating to her.

"I can just see it! You'll be... hah! You'll be walking along, saying, _'Fuck you, random person!'_ and then you'd see me... and... haha! You'd try to attack me, but since you're so small and so puny.. Oh my gosh, your puny body would tip over from the weight of the needle and... you'd fall flat in the dirt! Then I'll laugh and laugh and Raya'll laugh and laugh and Hanajima'll laugh and laugh -- "

Raya burst out into laughter, a series of snorts, hiccups, giggles, and shrieks emitting from her mouth. She collapsed to the floor, arms wrapped around herself in a pathetic attempt to restrain the laughter.

"Fuck you. I hate you all," Haruka said flatly, eyes conveying an irritation that her three friends had seen often.

Hanajima's eyes glittered. "We love you too."

Haruka blinked, taken aback. Such a comment was completely rare from her. A slight smile suddenly twitched at her mouth, battling the scowl she had for supremacy. The moment was lost, swiftly.

"Shower now, you _bakasaru_!"

"I'm not a monkey, you disgusting monster," Haruka hissed at Temari, baring her sharp teeth at her. Temari snickered and waved her off.

Sticking out her tongue childishly, she stomped into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Without a second thought, she readied her shower, trying to ignore the muffled giggles that echoed in her bedroom.

Climbing out of her pajama bottoms, she paused as she heard someone rustling through her dresser. Clicking her tongue in annoyance, she shook her head, wondering just how many times they would invade her privacy.

The burning water scalded her skin, but she closed her eyes, relishing the heat that flooded her aching body. Two days home from the earlier mission and her body was still feeling the repercussions of the battle with the clone and that stupid branch that had fallen on her. Her _shishou_ had been irritated when she found out her star pupil had been injured by a branch. A _branch_ of all things. And just for that, she forbade Haruka from healing her bruise further and to spend more time training. Haruka had stared at her with wide and weary eyes, nonplussed at that.

"I'm needed at the hospital though, _shishou!_"

Her stern-faced _shishou_ had fixed her with a sharp stare. "If you don't train your body and mind to as close to perfection as is possible, then you are of no use for the hospital. Your foolish mistakes can cost you your life, and then of what use would you be?"

Sighing, she closed her eyes, massaging shampoo in her scalp. Akemi-shishou was right, naturally. She had been outed by a branch, and that said a lot. Of course, she had wisely left out the part where Kakashi's warm laugh had distracted her... No need for her teacher to know such useless things, right? Akemi-shishou would kick her ass if she found out her pupil had been distracted by a laughing man.

She frowned suddenly, Kakashi looming in her groggy mind. That stupid, masked man. He was a nuisance to her. A distraction. Ever since the awkward moment – or rather, the near-kiss – he had avoided her. Even though it had only been one day since said awkward moment had taken place, but really, did that matter? All she cared about was that Kakashi had avoided her all day the previous day and it distressed her irritated self profusely.

_Stupid bastard, _her mind said scathingly._ Why is it I can miss him and hate him at the same time?_

Her mind supplied her with no answer except that love was a fickle thing, but Haruka loathed that thought. Her feelings were mere attraction – a typical reaction to such a man with such devilishly good looks. But she still hadn't seen his face.

Of, course, she had blown what was probably her only chance to ever see his face. Haruka had the vague idea she wouldn't be able to get that dratted mask off his face herself.

A sudden longing burned within her and she gritted her teeth, attempting to ignore it. Despite the screaming protests of her mind, she longed to run her fingers through his hair, to kiss him wildly and passionately, to...

Her face blanched as she rinsed out the shampoo, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt the soapy suds slide down her back smoothly. _I can't think like that_, she told herself firmly. _The heat was probably affecting his brain or something. What could he possibly see in my messed up self? It's the heat. Gotta be the heat._

Determined, she nodded her head, resolving not to think about him in such a way ever again.

A fantastical scene suddenly popped up in her mind like a bubble, where he was looking at her with an eye that smoldered her and made her feel warm. It was marvelously blue, reminding her again of a churning storm, lost over the deep, cerulean ocean, blackened by the shadows of night. It was so intense and so focused on her that the silver-haired man in her mind crossed the dark room that was invisible to her attention in three strides and grasped her waist firmly, his coarse, gloved hands resting against the small of her back. Her petite body pressed against the solid muscle of his chest made her feel such wonderful, breathtaking things that she had never felt before. His masked lips captured hers wildly, in such a romantic, sweeping kiss that her knees buckled beneath her and she found herself holding on to him for her dear life.

Haruka gasped and pressed a burning hand to her lips. A strange feeling surged in her heart and she found herself aching to experience the kiss her mind had conjured. Face burning, she grabbed the conditioner and lathered it into her thick and tangled hair, trying to expel him from her thoughts. He was a bastard, and she had avoided kissing him despite her obviously wanting him to kiss her, and now he was avoiding her. But _he_ had tried to kiss her, not her to him, so _technically_, the whole thing was his fault. She didn't remember doing anything to lead him on.

The realization that he had opted to kiss her without any knowing involvement from her made her feel all kinds of warmth and pleasure and wonderful. She felt almost bubbly knowing that.

_Bad thoughts, Haruka, _she thought sagely._ You can't be thinking like that!_

Nodding somberly to herself, she ran her tongue over her teeth self-consciously and stuck her hand outside the shower curtain, leaning and groping around the sink in search of her tooth brush.

_There you are, _she thought smugly, grasping both brush and paste. She was lazy, so she brushed her teeth in the shower, all the while thinking about how to deal with the situation with her and Kakashi. There were quite a few solutions, most of which she was forced to eliminate because of their sexual and romantic nature.

The only thing she could do, she discovered in a logical and practical way of thinking, was to approach him and tell him that there could be no relationship between them. Things had to remain strictly platonic, she would assert, and the Kakashi in her mind would begrudgingly accept after a few failed attempts to persuade her. He would continue to pine for her affections, though, and in the end, Haruka would find herself tangled in his arms and lost in a kiss that would probably lead to more --

Platonic. Things had to remain strictly platonic. Yes. No lovey-dovey things like kisses and stuff. Business.

This solution left her wistful, but she decided it was the only way for Gaara's stupid program to succeed. Haruka knew that if she was to become involved with a teammate, things would go awry. And if things went awry, Gaara would have her ass, so she decided it was in her best interest not to become involved with him.

Who know a stupid near-kiss could make things so stressful?

_Kakashi, _she growled in her mind, lost between affection and dislike. As quick as her furious expression had been to adorn her face, she sighed and leaned back against the wall, watching the water spray down to the floor of the tub, swirling as it was sucked down the drain.

She would talk to him today, she decided almost somberly. Regret for an action she had not yet done began to claw at her heart, but she ignored it steadfastly. Two halves of her heart quarreled with her mind; instinct versus logic. She tried her best to ignore the screams in her head, and somehow, she succeeded.

Haruka began to muse over her coming day in the hospital. Her insides twisted unpleasantly, her heart shrinking, hiding away. Temari and Raya wouldn't understand her if she told them what she was feeling. To them, she was the epitome of a self-confident young woman who relied on only herself. She was the independent woman who had braved her family's and friend's depraving comments and pursued what she wanted. She had risen up above the doubt and had made it to the top.

It was all a load of bullshit, really. Haruka was as timid as a mouse.

Hanajima would understand her though. She viewed things differently from most people, and even though Raya often saw through Haruka's guises and schemes, Hanajima's perspective provided an insight that not many people could see. Hanajima perceived Haruka like no one else; she saw the timid girl deep within, the little mouse who acted out in wild ways to hide her scent from the hungry predators that sought to bring her down.

Haruka shook her head slowly, turning off the shower and sticking her hand out again, slick fingers in search of a towel. She found it quickly and snatched it, swiftly drying herself off. She wrapped the towel around her body, double-checking to make sure there would be no accidental breast-flashing, and opened the bathroom door warily.

Her curious face became distressed when she saw what was laid out on her bed.

* * *

"You went through my bras and underwear?!" Haruka skidded into the living room, a lacy red bra clutched tightly in her fist. Droplets of water dripped from her long hair, creating a puddle on the floor. Dew-like drops glittered on her shoulders, rivulets of water trailing slowly down her skin. Her golden face was flushed, but from anger or embarrassment, Raya didn't know.

Raya was just downright embarrassed to see her friend so... unclothed. She tried her hardest not to cover her eyes with her hands, coughing modestly in her fist instead as she spelled out the word 'firefly' on the scrabble board she and Hanajima were perched over. They had decided to play out of boredom while they waited for Haruka to finish showering.

Hanajima quickly spelled out the word 'murder' through 'firefly'. Raya's face blanched when the apathetic woman raised her gaze. A slight smile quirked at her pale lips. Hiding a shudder, she glanced between Temari and Haruka.

Temari smirked at the distraught midget from her sprawled position on the couch. A pile of Haruka's books and scrolls had been piled unceremoniously on the floor. Raya glanced around a moment; Haruka's place was messier than normal, with a distinct lack of dishes and an obvious increase in medical scrolls. Very unlike her, as the girl had the appetite of a bear. Which, now that Raya thought about it, had been very subdued lately...

"I believe the proper term is 'panties'," she replied smartly, white teeth gleaming.

Raya twitched, sucking the inside of her cheek in a pointless attempt to ignore both Temari and Haruka. It didn't work, and so blushing, she let her gaze jump towards Haruka, noticing the uncharacteristic flush on her cheeks. She opened and closed her mouth, spluttering nonsense.

_Poor Ha-san, _Raya thought almost sadly, biting her lip. She almost regretted raiding her drawers with Temari. The named_ kunoichi _glared at her out of the corner of her eye warningly. Raya quickly remedied her thoughts.

_You lost the bet – what did you expect Ha-san?_

Haruka glared at her, a hand wiping away a stream of water from her hair. "You are really cruel, Satoma Raya," she whispered scathingly.

Raya's eyes widened considerably. "How did you read my thoughts!?" she cried, shocked and slightly unnerved.

Haruka, Temari, and Hanajima all stared at her as if she was insane and sputtering nonsense. Raya could've sworn she heard crickets chirping mockingly in the awkward silence. Blinking slowly, as if she was slightly afraid of Raya, Haruka was the first to reply.

"Um... You said that out loud, Raya," she said slowly, her voice speaking out with slight concern.

"Oh..." Raya lowered her shocked gaze, letting a sheet of violet hair conceal the scarlet flush on her cheeks. _I really need to stop saying everything I think..._ She looked up quickly, eyes shifting side to side in a futile attempt to make sure no one had heard her speak.

They hadn't. _Thank God._ Raya sighed, relieved as the conversation was steered back to the original topic.

Haruka turned her gaze back on Temari, eyes blazing furiously. "What the hell do my undergarments have to do with this fucking bet?"

Raya's face reddened. Okay. So she wasn't _completely_ relieved, but so what? Talk of bras and undergarments – not necessarily the most embarrassing of topics, but Raya had pretty much learned everythingfrom Haruka, and if _anyone _knew how blunt Haruka could be with those matters, they would understand the awkwardness Raya had been forced to endure.

Temari's eyes glittered impishly. "Would you rather be caught wearing granny panties?"

A strangled sound escaped Haruka and she lunged at the blonde girl, shrieking curses. Raya's eyes widened again and she jumped up to restrain her friend. Hanajima was faster, however, and quickly locked Haruka's arms behind her. Sadly, she knocked over the scrabble game in the process. Raya looked down at the scattered pieces forlornly.

The vertically-challenged girl scowled at Temari, her breast heaving as she sucked in huge breaths in a desperate attempt to calm herself. She glanced down momentarily, lips pursing, and Raya followed her gaze slowly.

_Oh dear, _she thought, eyes leaping upwards again as her blush was renewed._ Her towel's slipping._

"Raya, can you fix my ...?"

"Sure," she replied, and all-too-quickly she was up, fixing Haruka's towel to prevent any incidents. She studiously ignored the muttered threats that escaped Haruka's mouth as she rearranged the towel.

"I don't see what the big deal is, _Ha-chan_," Temari tittered, eyes still a-twinkle. "Since when did you care about what you wear? Or, perhaps, what you _don't_ wear?"

Raya blinked rapidly. It was true, really. Haruka always paraded around in spandex shorts and form-fitting tank-tops. The girl was open and free and even though her habits had stemmed from her rebellious years under her mother's rule, Haruka was just the kind of person who would tell people to fuck off and mind their own business. Hell, she was pretty sure Haruka had streaked in broad daylight before (she denied this passionately, but Raya was perfectly aware that Ha-san never could hold her liquor). So, frankly, it was mind-boggling that she would suddenly care about a slutty nurse's costume that showed a little bit of bra.

Haruka seemed to be coming to terms with the same thing herself. She opened and closed her mouth erratically, unsure how to reply. She was shaking, Raya noticed, though from fear or a chill, she wasn't sure.

"Temari... this is _different_," she began slowly, her voice low and flat. Raya glanced at her quickly, watching as Haruka's gaze lowered to her bare feet.

Temari scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Just how is it different?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Temari, the hospital is the one place where people respect me," she began quietly, her hoarse voice low and rent with a hidden plea. "I'm not slutty Haruka there, untamed daughter of the illustrious Kimiko-sama. There I am Haruka, respected medic-nin, the only one of Akemi-shishou's students to have learned under her when I graduated from the Academy. I proved my worth there, and I don't need to have all that taken away from me."

Guilt suddenly consumed Raya, though she tried hard to quench it. But it flared up persistently, drat it, and she was forced to wonder how she could ruin Haruka's already-despicable reputation. _How can I do this to Haruka? She's stressed enough as it is... Ugh, I feel horrible now. _She exchanged a glance with an abashed Temari, whose fair face was slightly pink. Raya looked away, turning her gaze down upon Haruka.

She should call off the bet, she realized dully. A part of her was slightly regretful; it was such an _awesome_ bet. She would've loved to torture Haruka this way. But as Raya stared into Haruka's dark, enigmatic eyes, filled with a silent plea that tugged at her heart, she knew she could not go through with it. Swallowing hard, she opened her mouth slowly.

"Haruka, you don't have to -- " Raya was cut off by an exasperated, impatient Hanajima.

"You're so damn dramatic, Ha-san."

Haruka threw a blazing glare over her shoulder at the moon-faced kunoichi that restrained her from murdering Temari brutally.

"Shut up, cow!"

The spell of Haruka's flowery and tragic speech was broken. Raya frowned down at her friend. _Always one for theatrics,_ she thought, both amused and begrudged at the same time. She had underestimated Haruka – the girl loved to play people.

"You are going to the hospital, in the nurse's costume, whether you like it or not," Raya said firmly, eyes narrowing as they caught Haruka's anguished and irked eyes.

Haruka looked at her for a quick and intense moment, judging the confidence in her words. Chewing her lip thoughtfully, she sighed and hung her head, groaning aloud.

_Good. Can't believe she played us like that... Stupid Haruka..._

Temari giggled but stopped halfway through and furrowed her brows, focused eyes drawn towards Haruka's sopping wet hair.

"I thought you weren't going to wash your hair?"

"Oh shit, I forgot! You ho-bags distracted me!"

Raya heaved a sigh, slapping a hand over her face. _Only Haruka._

* * *

Kakashi had been staring at the same page of Icha Icha Tactics for an hour. An _hour_. He hadn't read a single word; it all flew right over his head. Not even the irritated grumblings of Genma registered in his mind, nor the whining complaints of Naruto or Sakura's chastising voice.

It distressed him, to put it lightly.

Closing his eye warily, he leaned back, easing the muscles he hadn't realized were tensed. Something akin to disgust and regret tugged at his body, adding to the fatigue he felt. He was loathe to admit that he hadn't slept much the previous night, nor the night before, for that matter. A certain female loomed mockingly in his mind.

In all honesty, he didn't know what was wrong with him. Well, of course he _knew_, but still, he was surprised with himself. Haruka was just another girl, another pretty face in a sea of women he studiously ignored. But she, it seemed, would not be ignored. Rather, she popped up everywhere and made his mind a living hell for him.

Rubbing his eye tiredly, he leaned back in the uncomfortable chair he was rested in, restlessly flipping through Icha Icha Tactics for something to distract him. Normally he didn't have to try for a distraction, but the damned girl just would not leave his thoughts.

He considered all aspects of their mission two days before. The decoys, or the clones – though they hadn't really been clones, as they had all discovered quite shockingly – had been a set-up, he was sure. Raya had obviously been the target, and with the discovery of her _shihaigan_, he had become quite sure that the missing-nin had sought her _kekkei genkai_. Judging from what he'd learned and observed, though, the use of her _kekkei genkai_ was debilitating as well as dangerous. Not only that, but neither Naruto's _jinchuuriki_, nor Kankuro's status as the Kazekage's brother seemed to interest the mysterious organization known as Satori. He had included this revelation in his somewhat short report and left Gaara to mull over Raya's _shihaigain_ and Satori.

_Just as well_, Kakashi thought dully. _We know hardly anything about this new group. Their motives remain a mystery._

He had half a mind to approach Raya and learn more about her _shihaigan_. He was loathe to do so in such an outright manner, but he didn't really want to approach Haruka and ask her about Raya's _kekkei genkai_. Unsure in his self-control, Kakashi did not want to risk anything by trusting himself.

Of course, the almost-kiss incident didn't help matters. He remembered every detail vividly, much to his chagrin. He could see her dark eyes in his mind's eye, cinnamon flecks tugging the memory of her spicy scent to him. Every flutter of her thick lashes as she returned his intense gaze was burned deep in his memory. He had even counted the few freckles that were scattered over her smooth nose; eleven, if he recalled correctly, and he was sure he had. The curve of her slight upper lip accentuating the fullness of the lower had filled him with the fiery urge to kiss them furiously. Even the memory made him want to seek her out just to taste those lips smiling against his, to see if she tasted as good as she looked.

_Kami, what the fuck is wrong with me? _This Haruka girl was getting on his nerves. He didn't know her at all; his conversations with her had been minimal, at best. She seemed to be struggling with her own lust and hate for him, only serving a theory he had developed the night before that she was slightly schizophrenic... Multiple personality disorder?

And despite all this, he was still filled with the overwhelming urge fuck her senseless.

Kakashi was slightly relieved that no one could see his flared nostrils or clenched teeth. Sighing aloud, his eyes fell to his precious book and he began to read a paragraph at random.

_'Oh Jiro, I don't care what they say. I beg of you, take me now!' Kaori cried._

Was it wrong of him to imagine Haruka's voice? He liked to think not.

_She pressed her body against his, the firm mounds of her breasts rubbing against him desirously. A low moan escaped her, fueling the hot thrum of desire deep within him. Jiro was upon her in a heartbeat, flinging aside her clothes restlessly. His lips found hers and his hand slipped under her shirt, coarse digits warm against her pert -- _

"Kakashi-sensei! Have you no shame?!" Kakashi blinked, noticing a pair of indignant, jade green eyes glaring at him reproachfully over the top of his book. Blinking again, he lowered his book slowly and stared at his ex-student blankly.

Sakura's face flushed with anger when she realized he wasn't going to answer. Scowling, she furrowed her brows and pointed at his book. "Don't you want to make a good impression here? Everyone's already talking. Do you need to fuel their rumors and gossip?"

Kakashi raised a brow, curiosity aroused. "Talking? About me? How flattering."

Sakura growled at him and stalked across the brilliantly white room, standing herself before the tall window. Golden beams left cascading streams of sunlight on the shining floors. A bed was placed in the center of the room, the recuperating Genma's perverse smirk standing out like a dirty stain on the stark white pillows. Naruto was nowhere to be seen, having run off to explore the village excitedly.

Scratch that, the kid had just wandered back in the room dejectedly, shoulders slumped and face disgruntled. His hair was askew, as was natural, but there was a very distinct hand print on his cheek.

Sakura's mutterings of her pathetic and perverted sensei were halted by Naruto's sudden appearance. She blinked at him, mouth forming a little 'o'.

"What happened to you?" she asked, eyebrow quirked.

Naruto looked at his feet with a sigh. "Apparently, women don't like to be 'objectified' here either. Whatever the hell that means."

Kakashi swallowed a laugh and hid behind his book. The fair Sakura, though, belted out a furious cry.

"Baka! You pervert! You were spying on women, weren't you!?" Infuriated, Sakura cuffed Naruto on the side of his head, a generally rough movement that didn't really send one sprawling to the floor. Of course, it was Sakura and her strength, so as was said, Naruto found himself sprawled on the floor, rubbing the corner of his head gently.

Kakashi couldn't help but feel a swell of pride for her.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan! I didn't think -- "

"You didn't think you'd get caught, did you? Baka-san!" Sakura sucker punched him as he was getting up.

"Ow, ow ow! Sakura-chan!"

Genma snickered from his bed. The color had returned to his face and according to some medic-nin called Manami, he was recovering well. Kakashi had to admit that Haruka had done a pretty swell job of healing the man, but what else could he expect? Haruka was a _jounin_ level medic-nin, after all.

"Yeesh! I'm stuck with the worst team of them all! Not only is there Naruto and his never-ending stream of idiotic acts, but I'm stuck with a egotistical _jounin_ that goes and injures himself and a pervert sensei that's late for everything and keeps his nose stuck inside his dirty books!"

"Gee, Sakura-chan, you didn't have to be so nice," Kakashi drawled in return, eye glued to his book. Sakura flashed him a furious glare.

Naruto sat up on the floor, still rubbing his head. "I'm sorry Sakura-chan," he said quite seriously, bright eyes searching hers almost fearfully.

Sakura looked down at him. Her hard face softened. She was a very sympathetic girl, Kakashi noted. Always looking out for others.

"Moving away from Naruto's failed attempt to see a woman's body for what was probably the first time ever, there's a lot of steamy gossip here... Kinda reminds me of Konoha," Genma commented casually, hazel eyes twinkling. Kakashi ignored his irksome voice quite well, considering he was seated right next to the man.

Naruto wasn't about to let the man off for that jibe. He shot up from the floor and towered over Genma. It was easy for him, Kakashi thought quite plainly as he turned a page in his book. Genma was lying down.

_Way to assert your manliness, Naruto, _he thought dryly.

As if Naruto had heard his thoughts, he narrowed his eyes and puffed out his chest. Genma merely blinked up at the boy, quirking a brow amusedly.

"Trying for a new look? Gorilla really looks good on you." Genma nodded his head, smirking. Kakashi felt a smile twitch at his mouth as Naruto's face turned a splotchy red.

"Gorilla!? Who're you calling a gorilla! You dick head, you're the gorilla!"

"Naruto!" gasped Sakura from across the room. Kakashi continued to appear engrossed in his book, when in fact, he was quite entertained by the idiocy of his two teammates. Teammates. _Wow_, he thought. He watched Genma's reaction out of the corner of his eye.

The man only grinned at Naruto, but there was a dangerous glint in his eye. Naruto gulped audibly and stepped back.

"I have two things to say. One, don't call me a dick head. Ever again. Two, you're a gorilla. And that's final."

_Morons_, thought Kakashi almost fondly.

Sakura gave a nervous laugh, scratching the nape of her neck. "Um.. Yeah... Suna has a lot of gossip... I heard something the other day..."

Incident forgotten, Naruto's face lit up, a testament to his short attention span. Excitedly, he barreled right over Sakura's words, stumbling in the attempt to say something he obviously found extremely interesting and exciting.

"I heard some crazy things at the bathhouse yesterday!"

"About Hanajima?"

Three heads turned to look at Genma slowly. Well, Kakashi hadn't really turned to look at him. He remained staring at his book, his hooded eye as lazy as usual. Just Sakura and Naruto. But for all of his supposed nonchalance, Kakashi was fairly interested.

"Hanajima?" Sakura asked slowly, pale eyebrows knitted together in curiosity. "What'd you hear about her?"

Genma's mouth opened as if to speak, but Naruto cut him off eagerly. "Oh, I heard some things about her too! Some guy was talking about witchcraft and magic and demons and stuff... His name was Kato or Kurou or Katou or something."

Kurou. That name sounded familiar. Kakashi frowned.

"Naruto, shut the hell up!" Genma shouted, voice slightly hoarse from the effort. Naruto ignored him, wide eyes darting back and forth between Kakashi and Sakura, both appearing highly disinterested. Sakura's twitching fingers gave her away though.

_Do all medic-nin twitch their hands when they're nervous?_

"I heard she kills people by staring at them with those freaky eyes of hers... She'll start thinking things like, 'I hate you, go die' and then they just fall over dead...Holy shit, what if she tries to kill one of us!?" Naruto's eyes widened.

Sakura heaved a sigh, pressing a hand to her brow exasperatedly. She closed her eyes impatiently, her nostrils flaring. "Naruto, that's ridiculous. That's obviously just a stupid rumor."

Naruto still looked doubtful. Kakashi smirked, reminding himself to poke a little fun at him later.

With an affronted face, Genma coughed loudly. "I heard some pretty nifty things about Haruka -- "

"Oh! Haruka! I heard some insane things about her too! Well, not so insane, really. I guess it kind of seems like her."

Genma looked positively livid that Naruto had cut him off again. Scowling, he opened his mouth, but Naruto continued on, his face eager and perverse.

Kakashi tried his very best not to look interested.

"Yeah, I heard some guys talking about her at the bathhouse too. They were talking about Hanajima, but_ then_ they started talking about Haruka... Anyways, they said something about how sad things must be for her mom. Apparently, Haruka has an older sister, and she got pregnant at sixteen. But what's so horrible about that?"

Sakura frowned, leaning back against the wall. "Actually, I heard that Haruka comes from one of those aristocratic families. Not a ninja clan or anything, but one of those noble-like houses. Her parents are well-known tailors. Naruto, they're very old-fashioned and conservative. Her sister's pregnancy probably caused an uproar. I think she was spoken for too..."

Nodding his head quickly, Naruto started speaking again. "Yeah, she was. But those guys I heard talking said Haruka was crazy kid. Reckless and stuff, always off doing insane things and worrying her mom to death. Said she was way too friendly with the boys when she was younger and 'left little to the imagination'... What the hell do they mean by that?"

"They're basically saying she's a slut," Kakashi remarked plainly, licking a finger and turning another page in his book. Not that he was actually reading it, but they didn't know that.

"Oh, they said that too..."

Genma laughed out loud, startling both Sakura and Naruto. Both looked at him swiftly, eyes glaring.

"I've heard far worse. I swear, the things they talk about in a hospital. They all act respectful and proper, but the second you turn your back they're gossiping as if their lives depend on it. Just like dear old Konoha, eh?"

Kakashi raised a brow, finally turning his head slightly to appraise Genma with a critical stare.

"So what did you hear?" he asked, his voice _very_ disinterested. Genma smirked at him, as if knowing what he really thought.

"I heard -- "

"You'll never guess what I heard! Some guy said she lost her virginity at twelve!"

Kakashi pretended he didn't hear anything. He refused to think about it and was thankful when he succeeded. Thinking about something like that would probably lead to kinky thoughts and kinky thoughts weren't wanted. Genma promptly cast Naruto a smothering glare, hazel eyes filled with immense irritation. Sakura was covering her eyes in the corner, her face a shade darker than her hair.

"Naruto, you little asswipe! Do you always have to be the center of attention? Shut your damn mouth and let someone else talk for -- "

Kakashi was about to shut him up when a pair of voices sounded just outside the door. Pleading and snickering voices.

_Well, speak of the devil._

"_Shishou_, it's not funny!"

"It isn't serious, either! How many men so far?" This voice was older, wizened, but filled with a youthful exuberance that felt both lively and intimidating at the same time.

"Twenty-two, _shishou... _Can't you order me to wear my traditional uniform?" Most definitely Haruka's voice, though it was very hoarse. Kakashi recognized her voice almost sadly. Almost. There was still a smug part that looked forward to her inevitable appearance.

"A bet is a bet, Haruka-chan. As long as it doesn't get in the way of your work, I have no qualms about it. Now hurry up and check up on Shiranui-san, or you'll be doing the night shift next week."

"But Akemi-shishou, I'm already covering for Manami-san tonight -- "

"Again? Haruka, just because you cover her shifts doesn't mean I'll be easy on her. Don't think I haven't noticed how she misses training and skips out on shifts. Don't sacrifice yourself for her welfare."

"_Gomen nasai_, Akemi-_shishou_."

"Don't apologize, just get to work!"

"_Hai..._ "

"Oh, and _do_ be sure not to get molested. I don't want to deal with the corpses of our patients. Too much paperwork."

Laughter sounded in the corridor, wicked laughter.

The door swung open casually, a familiar looking woman crossed the threshold hesitantly. Thick, gleaming tresses tumbled over bare shoulders, curling and waving quite prettily. Of course, her innocent quality was swiftly eradicated by her provocative outfit, but Kakashi had no problems with that. Garbed in an off-the-shoulders dress of stark white with a scarlet trim that revealed a hefty bit of cleavage and a lovely red bra that peeked out shyly, the woman was...

Holy shit, it was _Haruka_.

Of course, the fact that he hadn't put two and two together right away instantly made him feel stupid. He was good at hiding his stupid moments though, because they were very few. Or so people thought.

Unable to look away, Kakashi found himself openly gawking at her. Her dress was quite short and fitted and incredibly slutty, and his eyes could not help but to glue themselves to the curves and dips of her body. She was taller than usual, but he attributed that to the painful, crimson pumps that her feet were cinched in. The heels succeeded in making her legs seem long and lean, but Kakashi was beginning to think her legs had always been long and maybe it was her torso that had been short, because hell, her legs were looking so beautifully endless. The fantastical part of his brain probably overlooked a surplus of scars across her calves, but really, they only made her seem more real to his stunned mind. His gaze traveled upwards, lingering momentarily on the slit of her dress, exposing a creamy thigh, before drifting up towards her red face. Blinking, he realized that it wasn't just the power of the legs that was pulling him under a spell.

Her eyes were just as mesmerizing as the rest of her. Lined with dark eyeliner, the cinnamon hues in her eyes were more visible and only made her scent so much more appealing to him. There was some color on her lips, but Kakashi didn't know or care because they just looked so sweet and plump, slightly parted and just calling for him to taste them.

It didn't help that half her chest was literally staring at him. He tried his hardest not to look, he really did, and he was proud to say he withstood for a few seconds before temptation had snatched him. But he was a man, and though he didn't like to admit it, he had weaknesses, and one of his weaknesses happened to be Haruka dressed as a slutty nurse, as it seemed.

Kakashi was pretty sure he loved Raya for conjuring such a bet. He didn't feel affection for others much – affection was an iffy thing, though not nearly as risky as things like love. So it was a rare moment when he actually stopped and thought back affectionately about someone.

If asked, though, he would firmly deny it.

Eyes wide, Haruka's gaze followed his. Her face reddened further and she clutched her clipboard over her chest, looking down quickly. Kakashi slowly turned his eyes back to his book.

"Good.. morning, Sakura-chan. Naruto-kun, Hatake-san," she murmured quietly, her voice even more so lowered by the utter scratchiness of it. Before any of them could so much as reply, she made her way to Genma's bed, hands fruitlessly tugging the hem of her dress lower. Kakashi glared at Naruto, whose gaze lingered on her derriere.

"Good morning, Haruka-san," Naruto and Sakura replied in unison, their eyes wide. They exchanged glances for a moment before Sakura coughed and spoke up.

"Are you feeling well? You're voice sounds a little..."

Haruka smiled, eyes wry. "I scream. A lot. The effects of constant yelling seem to finally have caught up with me." Sakura returned the smile and Haruka turned back to the lecherous Genma, who smirked up at her from his bed, eyes a-twinkle.

Kakashi didn't like that twinkle.

"Feeling better, Genma-san?" Haruka's voice seemed only half-interested in an answer. She sounded more exasperated and wary than anything else. Genma's smirk deepened.

Kakashi didn't like that smirk, either.

"_Much_ better now that you're here, doctor," he remarked slyly. His eyes darted towards Kakashi and something like victory sang out in his smirk.

Kakashi _really_ didn't like that suggestive voice. Apparently, Haruka felt the same.

"You disgusting pervert! Let it be known henceforth that I have no interest in you or your STD-infested body, so don't pull anything with me!" Her gravelly voice was shrill, but Kakashi felt a sudden affection for her because of her words.

Again, the whole affection thing. Suna had to be messing with his mind. Scrambling his brains like scrambled eggs. He wouldn't be surprised to find his scrambled brains served the next morning, along with a side of fried thoughts and a glass of freshly-squeezed ideals.

Oh, dear, Haruka was making him loopy again.

With the slightest shake of the head, Kakashi leaned back in his chair beside Genma's bed, trying to ignore the close proximity of her delicious-smelling body or how warm and inviting she looked. He would ignore it, and he would succeed, and he would throw it in her face and shout, "Huzzah!"

Okay, maybe not _that_.

Biting the inside of his cheek, he flipped open his book and continued to ignore her. Especially the way she leaned over the bed to check Genma, and how the skirt of her dress rose an inch, revealing more of her smooth skin than his logical mind could handle.

He could ignore her. _Hell yeah._

"You're fine, you lecherous ass, so I'll have a nurse discharge you. Since I don't really give a fuck about you, I won't tell you that you should continue to rest and not overexert yourself. No point really, seeing as you're a fucking shinobi, though how you became one in the first place is a mystery to me."

Kakashi kindly decided not to point out how redundant her comment was. He decided to bask in her obvious hatred for Genma instead. It was much sweeter than the hatred he was sure she currently felt for him.

Genma frowned at her. "Yeesh, you're so moody. You're lucky you're so hot, else that temper of yours would turn everyone away. How'd someone like you ever become a medic-nin?"

Haruka smiled tightly, eyes glinting daggers. "How I became a medic-nin is none of your business. Moving on, I'd much rather shove a kunai up your ass, but that would require me to actually _touch_ you, and I don't think I can stomach that. Then I'd have to treat you and you'd have to stay here longer, and seeing as how I practically live here, I don't think I'd be able to stomach _that_ either. So shut the fuck up before I do something I regret."

Yep. Much sweeter.

Haruka turned around, the smirk dying on her face when her gaze landed on Kakashi. For a moment, his eyes met hers. He wasn't sure if anything had passed between them at all. If something had, he had a feeling it went along the lines of, _"Hello, how have you been?"_

Her eyes would respond,_ "Oh, I've been dandy since I tried to avoid kissing you or you kissing me, but that doesn't matter, because I obviously still want you."_

"_Oh. I'm sorry. I think I still want you too."_

"_Really? Do you care if throw myself upon you and start kissing you senselessly?"_

"_No, no, go ahead. But is it wise do something like that in front of Naruto and Sakura though? Genma would probably try to wheedle in somehow too. __He's kinky like that__."_

"_Oh, fuck, you're right. Well, whatever. We shouldn't do anything anyway. I'm mentally unstable."_

"_Aren't we all..."_

In all actuality, there was a sudden ferocity in her eyes, a determination that was rather frightening and altogether a little nerve wracking, because he had gotten quite used to seeing her as a young woman who went from a yelling bomb to a spluttering, insecure mess. The sudden embarrassment had fled her face from before and she was suddenly firm and confident.

The change was befuddling, needless to say. However, he expected this confidence that seemed to unexpectedly die around him to die within the next few minutes.

"Kakashi, may I speak with you?"

_Well, _he thought_. That was unexpected._

He met her strong gaze with his own, keeping stoic as was norm for him. He raised an eyebrow, hiding a smile when an annoyed twitch entered her eye.

"Sure," he replied easily, despite the warning bells that went off in his head. Something was telling him that he shouldn't be alone with this woman. But he'd been ignoring that something for quite awhile now.

* * *

Temari was an interesting character. A rebel, she was often compared to Haruka, and was obviously considered a positive version. Many thought her too strong-willed and flashy to be any good, but others said her meddling ways always made for a better result. Haruka fell in between these two categories, at times enjoying the girl's company and at other times wishing she'd disappear. Their relationship was friendly, but at times Temari could overstep her boundaries and leave Haruka infuriated and ready to torch the nearest building in her anger. Simply put, they were rivals; both competed needlessly and though they would joke about it later, each tried to be better than the other.

When they weren't having one-sided shouting matches (Haruka being the shout-er, Temari the shout-ee), Temari sought ways to torment Haruka. Humiliation, infuriating, the works. Gaara was constantly telling her that she was extremely immature for pulling pranks on her or setting her up with horrible men, but even he admitted that the proud Haruka needed a little lesson every now and then.

And so it was that Temari had tailed Haruka on her way to the hospital, Raya and Hanajima in tow. She cradled Raya's camera lovingly in her hands, caressing the blank tape with joy. Their journey to the hospital was filled with many cat-calls and a lot of numbers were given out, and not just to Haruka. Temari was quite good at attracting attention, which irked Haruka very well. Some of the youth had also teased an irritated Raya until Hanajima scared them off with an icy glare.

Smirking to herself, Temari prowled the halls of the hospital like a stalker. Many of the nurses ignored her, being both used to her antics and fully aware of her sibling status with the Kazekage. If they interfered, they would have their asses strung by an exasperated Gaara who would only have punished them because he was sick of hearing Temari's constant nagging.

Akemi-san, Haruka's _shishou_, seemed to be the only one who wouldn't put up with Temari's shenanigans. The moment the blonde _kunoichi_ had set foot on the head medic-nin's turf, she had been herded from room to room, away from the elusive Haruka. Temari was reluctant to admit she had not cracked Akemi-san yet, and was not likely to do so in the near future. Akemi was a hard cookie who prided in her student's work. Though she often laughed at Haruka's expense, she didn't appreciate Temari's sometimes cruel schemes.

Temari found herself sighing in the security room, still cradling Raya's camera. The mismatched pair of friends had long since abandoned her to goad a few of Haruka's patients to constantly nag her. Slumped in the corner, she cast a sky blue glare upon the many screens, ignoring the grumblings of the security guard in the room. He wouldn't kick her out because he didn't want his ass strung for the world to see.

There wasn't much going on. A random couple making out in an empty room, two nurses gossiping about a hot-shot doctor, a farmer whose hand had been brutally bitten by a goat, Haruka and Kakashi talking in a room, an old man snoring his life away --

_Haruka! With... Kakashi?_ An excited and curious gleam entered her and Temari jumped towards the screen. She grabbed the burly guard by the shoulder and wheeled his chair towards the monitor.

"That room.. which room is it?"

The guard stared at her, dark eyes bugging out in surprise and confusion. He twirled the corner of his thick mustache, wondering whether or not he should ask.

"Um..."

Temari pointed at the screen exasperatedly. "The room! Where is that room!?" she cried, her voice shrill.

"Just down the hall, first door to your left -- "

Temari was gone before he decided it was safe to ask what was so great about that darned room. His buggy eyes squinted at the screen, frowning. It was just that temperamental medic-nin Hayashi and some old white-haired guy. What was so special about them?

Temari skidded to a halt at the end of the hall and heaved a breath. She had to go about this sensibly. Logically. Kakashi was sure to have his ears open for any eavesdroppers. He was a ninja, and one of the best at that. Of course, Haruka _was_ wearing a highly distracting outfit...

She decided to risk it and suppressed her chakra, coming to a halt just outside the slightly ajar door. Closing her eyes, she listened carefully.

"Look, um... Hatake-san..." Haruka's voice was uncharacteristically nervous and shaky. Temari frowned, suspicion easing through her. Was she attracted to the sarcastic _shinobi_? _Naw,_ she thought. _Not him._

"Just Kakashi."

There was a slight pause and a gentle breath as Haruka composed herself. Temari grinned to herself. _ Do I know Ha-san or do I know Ha-san?_

"Okay. Kakashi." Another pause and a slight shifting of weight. Kakashi remained silent, but Temari could imagine the slightly smug and amused look in that eye of his.

"Neither of us has been able to address the.. um..."

Temari didn't expect Kakashi to help her out. She could practically feeling the amusement rolling off him. The curiosity she felt worsened, like an itch on her back that she couldn't reach. Biting her lip, she leaned against the wall next to the door, careful not to make a sound.

Haruka finally summoned the courage to say what was on her mind. "Y'know, screw it. I don't think it's a good idea for either of us to become involved with each other. That incident before was exactly that – an incident. I don't think we knew each other well enough and frankly, you irritate the crap out of me."

_There_ was the Haruka she knew.

Shock. Temari was a highly intuitive person, seeing things from different perceptions quite easily. She thrived off emotion, and at the moment, she could feel the surprise from Kakashi. If she had been in his shoes, she would've been surprised by the outburst from this seemingly meek girl.

_Shows how much you know about her, old man_, she thought with an inner giggle that was instantly quelled by a surprise that stunned her being. Kakashi and Haruka? Ickle Haruka who put herself out there but refused to so much as date? The suicidal dwarf and the infamous Copy Nin?

_Surprise, surprise! _Temari's face lit up with a silent giggle.

"It's okay, because you irritate the crap out of me too," he drawled. "It's a good thing you're not too ugly, because it'd be almost unbearable if you were ugly and irritating."

Temari pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle the rising urge to snort.

"God! You are infuriating!" There was a slight movement, like she had thrown her hands up. Which she probably had. She had probably stomped too. That was a classic Haruka movement. She always did that when she didn't know what to do.

Kakashi was keeping silent. She imagined he was smirking at her, eyes all a-twinkle. Maybe even leering. If there was a near incident between them that Haruka was actually addressing, there had to be a little _something-something_ between them. Temari frowned. Now that she thought about it, their behavior from the past few days was highly odd.

_Hell yes, I've stumbled on gold!_

"So. We've agreed no... stuff?"

"Sure, if by 'stuff' you mean no kissing or sex or wild fantasies."

Kakashi was messing with her. Temari felt deep respect for this man. He was riling her feathers.

"I don't think I'll talk to you for the rest of the day. Yeah. That's a great solution. Bye." Brisk footsteps, the clack of painful heels nearing the door. Temari took a step back, reluctant to move but hesitant in getting caught.

Then the steps stopped suddenly and there was a very soft gasp.

_Ooh! This is getting good!_

All she heard was silence. Not the whisper of clothes nor the scraping of chairs or beds, or even sounds of smacking lips and hurried breaths. No murmured nonsense and random groping. Just silence.

And then Haruka was walking briskly again, albeit a bit out of breath. Temari darted back down the hall and disappeared before she could be seen, all the while musing over what she had overheard.

Haruka and Kakashi. A mismatched pair, no doubt, but a relationship between them was actually plausible. Incredibly plausible, actually. Haruka's fiery temper could be easily subdued by Kakashi's quiet persona. Their personalities would clash – hell, she could imagine screaming right now – but they would make a very cute couple. Two different people who were unknowingly extremely similar.

Now, if only she could get them together.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hey, sorry this chapter took so long to get here. I actually had it finished.. erm.. quite awhile ago. But being the picky person I am, I had to go and edit this. You wouldn't believe how much blue stuff there is (everything I change is blue. Because blue is hot). Anyways, I'm eager to hear what you think! Thanks for all the favorites and story alerts and stuff!

-Ha-san


	8. Seven: Setting Sun

**Chapter Seven  
****Setting Sun**

The aureate gleam of morning spread like wildfire across the lightening sky. There were no clouds streaking the horizon, a flawless sky if Hanajima did say so herself. A light breeze, as was usual for the windy desert of Sunagakure, played with her golden hair lovingly, separating the shining strands. It was probably one of the only things that wasn't frightened or disturbed by her.

It was an early morning and not many people were up and about, save for bakers and whatnot. Hanajima often found herself wandering the streets of Suna in the early morn and those few who witnessed this contemplative young woman would tell you that she appeared reminiscent, almost lost in her thoughts. Some would say that they found this to be a refreshing sight from her stoic and stiff self of the norm, but the older folk, the ones with experiences themselves, would tell you that she appeared troubled and conflicted. Mornings were the only time she felt at peace with herself enough to gently release her self-control, and even then it was never enough to make her feel better.

This morning was no different. Roaming the streets at random, she let her feet take her where they may. As the older folk had guessed, she was a troubled soul, but such news would not surprise anyone. Orphaned at a young age, nearly everyone knew of her parents' tragic deaths. The rumors that milled about ranged from extremely improbable to surprisingly accurate. No one knew the actual truth, honestly, but many suspected that Hayashi Haruka and Satoma Raya knew the real story. No one ever acted upon these suspicions, for it was considered taboo to approach any of the trio with questions concerning the past.

In general, all three of the young women were quite troubled and tried to confide in each other often. Raya was quite good at confiding, Haruka could use some work, and Hanajima was downright horrible at it. Neither Haruka or Raya blamed her for it though. They both understood how hard it was for her to open up to people, and that was because they were aware of her past.

Her thoughts were more troubling than usual this morning. Her pale visage was tilted towards the orange gleam of the rising sun, her skin warmed by the stray beams that cascaded erratically upon the worn street. The delicious smells of pastries filled her nose, goading a rumble in her belly, but she ignored it with ease.

The anniversary of their deaths was approaching fast.

Her lip quivered for but a moment before her stoic self claimed that traitorous tremble. Continuing on down the streets, her dark mind began to pull up memories with the sole intent upon hurting her. A torn expression flashed upon her face for a brief moment. A sympathetic old woman handed her a sweet pastry. Hanajima wordlessly thanked her with a gentle nod.

She blamed herself for their deaths. Raya had tried to tell her that it wasn't her fault, it was all her stupid _kekkei genkai's_ fault. Haruka had fallen into her medic-nin routine and had told her, with an endearing expression not often seen on her face, that Raya was right and that she shouldn't blame herself. '_Live a little'_, she had said. '_Don't be so tense. You need to let it go.'_

Hanajima snorted as she turned onto an old path that sloped upwards into the mountains. _This coming from the begrudging dwarf who can't let go of anything._

Clouds of dust swirled at her sandaled feet and she took a bite out of the pastry, savoring the sweet taste. Deep down, she knew they were right, but they didn't understand the guilt she was forced to cope with every day of her life. _Oh crap,_ Hanajima thought numbly. _I'm starting to sound like little emo Haruka._

She tried to regret thinking that, and she did. She knew it wasn't Haruka's fault that her mother had been a crappy one and that she didn't know how to deal with constant accusations and such. Hanajima's eye twitched; she couldn't help but feel slightly resentful that Haruka wouldn't patch things up with her mother. At least she had a mother.

Humming thoughtfully as she made her way upwards, she thought of Raya. Of the three of them, Raya was probably the most normal, from an average ninja family. Of course, your average ninja family was not without the general tragedy that seemed to wrack most average ninja families. It was unavoidable in that line of work. But somehow, Raya had managed to rise up beyond the grief of her father's death and her mother's downward spiral into insanity and had made something of herself and her younger brother. She had approached her feelings head on, and though the tragedy still sparked some tears, Raya did not fret over it.

Hanajima felt that she and Haruka both had much to learn from Raya.

With a sigh, she looked up. The path had evened out into a vast expanse of land that was gated and worn. Hanajima's heartbeat quickened as she gazed upon an elaborately wrought sign before the gates. Someone had carved in, quite heartlessly, the words _'woot! woot!'_ and Hanajima could not help but to feel that it was incredibly morbid.

_Cemetery._

Her eyes widened and for a moment she could not breathe. With trembling fingers, she took a hesitant step backwards, as if something was pulling her away. What was she doing here? Inhaling deeply and quickly, she struggled to compose herself as her eyes gazed past the metal bars at the tombstones within.

_I can't be here. Not now._

Swallowing hard, Hanajima slowly turned around and made her way down the sloping path again. She tried her best to ignore the tremor in her hands and the thundering of her heart. Above all, though, she tried to ignore the voices that screamed at her in her head.

At the bottom of the path, Hanajima turned, hesitantly, shielding the early sunlight from her eyes as she gazed up at the graveyard in the distance. Her lips trembled for a bare instance and then she was gone, lost in a cloud of smoke and sand.

* * *

Raya blinked at her reflection in the mirror and held up a lock of deep, violet hair. People often asked her how she had gotten such an odd hair color – did she dye it in a fit of rebelliousness? Raya's cheeks would flush warmly and she would shake her head 'no'. She didn't exactly like explaining that her mother had had purple hair and Raya had just so happened to have inherited it from her.

Pushing her bangs back from her face, she observed her eyes. Haruka was always telling her how pretty they were. Raya didn't really like talking about her looks, but secretly, she thought her eyes were rather fetching as well. Such a pretty shade of green and she thought it went rather nicely with her long hair.

Hanajima liked to compare her to Barney though.

Frowning, Raya stepped back and let her hand fall listlessly to her side. Hair tumbling over her shoulders, she turned her face this way and that, examining her cheekbones with narrowed eyes. In all honesty, she'd much rather have Haruka's cheekbones than her own. They were so much more... defined. Still frowning, a very random thought sprang up in her mind.

_I wonder if Gaara thinks I'm pretty_.

Her fair face flushed deeply and a sudden embarrassment filled her. Her 'crush' on Gaara was proving to be quite irksome. In all honesty, Raya was not sure when it had first been born. If she were to guess, it would probably have to be just after the _chuunin_ exams.

Of course, the whole _'betray Konoha so our village doesn't go bankrupt'_ scheme hadn't been the greatest idea the council elders had ever come up with, but Raya had been stunned and impressed with the change the affair had instilled in Gaara. No longer was he the quiet, sleepless boy who had looked upon the other kids with a face akin to jealousy and hatred, but a young man who sought to better himself to protect the ones he loved.

Raya remembered watching him from afar – in no way had she or Haruka ever been friends with him, but they had never been the ones to run away in fright or to shun him because their mothers had said so. She was pretty sure that any interaction on Haruka's part was a pure act of her rebellion against her mother's explicit word.

She half-wished she could say the same for herself, but truthfully, Raya had been both slightly afraid and incredibly curious. Her mother and father had explained what Gaara was, having been some of the few who looked upon Gaara with pity and sadness. They viewed the sealing of the One-Tailed _Shukaku_ as a grievous event, an act of extreme desperation on the Fourth Kazekage's part.

She grew up in both fear and awe of him. His inadvertent attacks on the villagers earned him a hefty following of men and women who feared and hated him. But his sudden change three years prior had filled her with a feeling she could only describe as pride. Pride for his ability to rise above the ill-feelings that had festered all his life. Even if the others were hesitant to trust him, Gaara had proved to be a great asset to Sunagakure and had risen up to the challenges thrown at him.

Pride became happiness and happiness became affection, and eventually, it bubbled into something more. Her feelings towards Gaara had crept up upon her and she had hid it quite well for two and half years until Haruka had put two and two together and had discovered, with much shock, that Raya was very much in like with Gaara.

Sighing through her nose, Raya turned and stepped out of her bathroom and into her living room. The layout of her apartment was much similar to Haruka's, only flipped and organized. _Much_ more organized. The walls were a deep red, pretty much like Haruka's bedroom (actually, Raya had taken her leftover paint two months ago). With simple décor, Raya's home was quite nice for a sixteen year old _jounin_ with the hopes of joining ANBU.

Which reminded her, why did everyone think she was so stupid? A young woman with an ANBU status looming nearby was _certainly_ not stupid. With a final sweeping glance around her apartment, she grabbed her keys and stuffed them in her pocket and quickly fled the building. Thoughts of her intelligence weighed heavily in her mind. She was always put off as the stupid one, the air-headed ditz who couldn't tell you a cow from a duck. It was irritating, infuriating, and downright hurtful.

_Does Gaara think I'm dumb? Dear God, I hope not._ Biting her lip, Raya made her way through the streets of Suna, all the while hating that the hormones teenagers had to deal with. With a fixed destination in her mind, her feet moved of their own accord, which gave her much more time to think.

Raya was smart. _Hell yeah._ Of course she was. How else did she become a _jounin_ at sixteen? Haruka herself hadn't become a _jounin_ until she was seventeen and a half. So why the hell did everyone assume she was so stupid?

Naivety. That had to be it. _They always mistake innocence for idiocy. Morons._

With a sigh, she told herself not to think about it. Constantly fretting about the way everyone else's minds worked would make her crazy, she knew, and if she continued to fret she'd probably end up hating everyone like Haruka. Or possibly Hanajima. Raya wasn't sure which she'd rather be like if she was clinically insane.

Pushing it away from her mind, Raya decided it'd be better to look forward to the oncoming day. After her raving mother had been carted off to the nearest asylum, Raya and her younger brother, Hiro, had moved into their grandparents' home. She loved her grandparents dearly and was extremely grateful that they had taken her younger brother and herself in without a moment's hesitation, despite their financial situation. As an esteemed ninja clan of Suna, the Satomas were a well-off family that had opted for a more humble lifestyle. Raya had not wanted to become a burden to her grandparents and had moved out some months ago in an effort to relieve the tension and had done well on her own so far. She tried to visit her younger brother as much as possible.

The smells of delicious foods wafted through her nose as she passed vendors by. The scrumptious scents faded away as she found herself striding through a small neighborhood. The clay homes did not inspire beauty, but it served to combat the harsh winds and rough sand of Suna. Each building was much the same, but they would become much more grand if she ventured further into the village. Of course, that would take her towards the more aristocratic folk, the small group of high class citizens with fancy, elaborate homes. Raya's family had settled for a more modest house, so she turned through the rows and streets of cramped homes.

She gazed upwards at the roofs, falling into a dull rhythm as she walked. Every roof, exactly the same, with every step she took. The monotony of it began to settle in when something caught her eye. Was someone sitting on the roof?

Raya stopped and squinted up. The sun was not high in the sky and she gazed on with ease. Of course, seeing the now-familiar silver head buried between orange book covers was quite unexpected, if not rather off-putting.

"Kakashi-san?" she called upwards, purple brows pulled together in curiosity. _Icha Icha. Oh god, ew, he reads those too? Hanajima should get on fine with him then. _Raya hid her disgusted face.

The head looked up, only slightly surprised. She had a feeling he only looked surprised for her benefit – he had probably sensed her presence for some time now. He looked down and recognition flashed in that mysterious eye of his. "Raya-san. What brings you out here?" He closed his book with a light snap and set it beside him. Leaning back on his hands, he watched her from afar.

Raya smiled, then remembered Haruka's obvious hatred for this man. Torn between having a pleasant conversation with a new colleague and proving her loyalty to a long-time friend, Raya bit her lip.

"My grandparents live near here," she replied with ease. Haruka would have trouble finding something wrong with that comment. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, something that both Hanajima and Haruka were not quite keen on giving to just anyone. At least he was _trying_ to appear like he was actually interested.

Raya raised an eyebrow and shook that thought away. "What are you doing here?"

Kakashi smiled at her. Or at least, she _thought_ he smiled at her. From what she had gathered from Haruka's rantings, it was hard to tell if he was ever smiling, unless he smiled an overtly fake smile with his eye or you watched him very closely.

"Avoiding Naruto and Genma. There's not many quiet places around here." Kakashi paused and frowned. "Not that this isn't a nice village and all."

Raya laughed. _Haruka's crazy! Kakashi's a nice guy!_

"It's okay. Suna takes a bit of getting used to. I guess they don't have many sandstorms in Konoha, do they?" Raya grinned up at him, though her neck was starting to hurt a little.'

_This must be how Ha-san feels most of the time_ , she thought with an amused inner giggle.

He emitted a sound that was half an affirming grunt and half a chuckle. It sounded very weird and Raya was slightly taken aback. He was obviously not interested in their conversation whatsoever.

_Maybe she was right... He is kinda odd._

Before she knew it, he had landed nimbly beside her and was stowing away that horrible book of his.

_That_ was when it got awkward for Raya. With nothing else left to say, she looked away from Kakashi casually. Should she walk away? Or should she stay? Raya was unsure, but Kakashi was standing resolutely next to her and there was almost a cagey look in his ponderous eye. She did not want to appear rude by just leaving quite suddenly, but she would be late picking up Hiro if she didn't leave now and she did have plans after all...

Raya was quickly becoming discomfited and she really wanted to ditch Kakashi to visit her younger brother. But he remained as still as a stone beside her. Raya shifted her weight uneasily, trying to maintain a cool and calm composure as she struggled with the dilemma of whether or not she should sacrifice her manners to pick up Hiro.

"So your _kekkei genkai_... How does it work?"

She looked at him quickly, brows furrowed. For a few moments, she was silent as she gathered herself.

"That was... random," she said finally, pursing her lips in a rather puzzled fashion. Something like hesitance tugged at her heart. Anything to do with her _kekkei genkai_ tended to have that kind of effect on her.

Kakashi replied with a sort of one-shouldered shrug and grunted. "I gather Gaara-sama hasn't talked to you yet?"

Raya blinked, biting her upper lip experimentally as confusion filled her. "Um... no, he hasn't," she said slowly. "Why should he want to talk to me?"

Something like surprise entered that dark eye. He looked at her closely, as if measuring her reaction.

"You were Satori's target."

For the quickest of moments, Satori eluded her mind and she could not remember who or what it was. But then it hit her and the blood drained from her face. Raya's eyes widened and she looked up at him, swiftly remembering the mission and everything that had occurred during it. Her mouth suddenly felt dry. She had completely forgotten about Satori's real motive. A motive that had revealed itself when the real missing-nin had targeted Raya and Genma...

"You mean..." Raya trailed off and looked up at Kakashi beside her. Her heart felt quite heavy.

Kakashi nodded, his masked face somehow appearing grim. His dark eye cast her an immeasurable, unwavering stare. Raya sucked in a quick breath and watched him closely.

"They were probably after your _kekkei genkai_. It'd probably be better if I knew as much about it as possible since my stay in Suna is indefinite..." He didn't sound remotely happy about this.

"Oh. Well then..." Raya looked down at her sandaled feet, her lips pulling into an anxious frown. "The_ shihaigan _lets me inflict vertigo on an individual. He or she falls under it's influence and then I go even further by traveling up the connection between the mind and inner ear workings with my chakra. Then I manipulate their worst memories and while they're experiencing old nightmares, I take them out."

Kakashi was silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. Rubbing his chin, that ponderous look returned to his eye. "Interesting. But it damages your body as well, doesn't it?"

Sighing, Raya nodded. "I never learned how to properly control it. I get confused and the _shihaigan_ goes crazy and generates an insane amount of chakra. And I can't use the excess chakra because then the _shihaigan_ becomes confused and it turns against me for something to do. Then it starts to heal the wounds it gives me! It's like it has a mind of it's own."

"Have you tried -- "

She cut him off with an abrupt shake of the head. "I've tried _everything_. Nothing works. My dad died before he could finish teaching me." Meeting Kakashi's questioning and apologetic gaze, she nodded her head forlornly. "Yes. The _shihaigan_ basically did him in. His had been damaged before I was born and over the years it would randomly turn on him and force him to experience his own nightmares. The attacks got worse and worse until finally, he committed _seppuku_."

"I'm sorry." What was visible of Kakashi's face appeared blank, devoid of any emotion.

Raya forced a smile that looked surprisingly authentic. "Don't be. It's not like you killed him or whatever. He was on a mission for the village and was attacked for his eyes. Permanently damaged."

His eye looked tense. Actually, his whole body looked rather rigid and his jaw was clenched. Raya blinked and suddenly, he was fine, his shoulders slumped like he'd rather be elsewhere, his pale body out of place in the rocky desert that surrounded him. Feeling slightly confused, she was about to ask him if something was wrong when he shot off with another question.

"You've been friends with Haruka for awhile?"

_What the hell?!_

"Um... yeah. Met her at the Ninja Academy. I mistook her for someone my age. She tried to punch me for that. We've known each other ever since." Raya raised an eyebrow and watched Kakashi, but he appeared nonchalant, gazing up at the sky.

"I see... So you two must be pretty close." He nodded his head slowly, deep in thought.

Frowning, Raya nodded her head too. "Yeah... She's like my older sister..."

_Why do you care?_

"Is she always so uptight?"

Raya raised her brows. "Uptight? Haruka? Nah, she may get mad a lot, but she's really sweet deep down. She's just been really stressed lately. Always training with her _shishou_, working extra shifts at the hospital, this whole program of Gaara-sama's and then even recognizing you..."

Kakashi frowned and suddenly, Raya remembered that Kakashi _did_ not know that Haruka had been the cocky little girl to call him a bastard after he saved her life. Except, maybe he _did_ know, and that was why he was asking these random questions about her! _Holy crap! He must remember!_

Eyes widening, Raya looked up at Kakashi. "Did Haruka tell you? Or did someone -- "

"Onee-chan!"

Her train of thought crashed and Raya turned slightly and a grin suddenly lit up her face. "Hiro!"

"Um, Raya -- "

Completely oblivious to Kakashi's presence, Raya watched as her younger brother bounded from the rooftops and landed on the sandy street. He leaped with the speed of a shinobi-in-training, his face of ivory beaming beautifully. Her heart swelling with pride, she held out her arms and embraced Hiro lovingly.

She held him at arms-length and examined him. He was still at that childishly scrawny stage where he was thin and awkward but still amazingly adorable. His face was round and his eyes of startling green glittered with happiness and mischief. Sleek locks of a mahogany color were tousled atop his head. Eight-year old Hiro bounced with a hyperactive excitement.

"What are you doing here?" she asked laughingly. "I was supposed to pick _you_ up! You're not supposed to pick me up!"

He flashed her a grin. Raya noticed he'd lost a few teeth. "You were taking too long, onee-chan. So I thought I'd come meet you!"

"Ah... I see." Raya mussed his hair with a smile. Hiro frowned suddenly and looked behind her curiously.

"Who was that man?"

"What man -- " She turned around, blinking at a blurred figure disappearing over the rooftops. "Ah crap, I totally forgot about Kakashi!"

"So who was he?" Hiro's face popped up below hers. Large eyes stared up at her inquisitively.

Still staring where Kakashi's form had vanished, Raya shrugged gently. "He's a _jounin_ from Konohagakure," she murmured, slightly lost in her thoughts.

As Hiro tugged on her arm and begged her to let him show her how he'd improved his kunai throwing, Raya wondered why Kakashi had left so suddenly. _He could've stuck around to say bye at least_, she thought, rather miffed with him.

"Hey, Raya-chan!"

_Ugh, that must be why he left._

Turning around with a smile, Raya waved at Naruto. The beaming blonde bounded over and stopped short just before Raya and Hiro. Naruto was looking surprisingly chipper this morning, Raya noted rather dully. She couldn't place it, but something about the guy just got on her nerves. Of course, Raya had been talking to Sakura a lot and the pink-haired girl's stories might have given her a biased opinion of the boy.

"Hi Naruto-kun," she responded rather half-heartedly. How many people were going to cut in on her time with Hiro? She exchanged an exasperated glance with brother. Of course, Hiro was merely happy. Grinning, the exuberant young boy grabbed Naruto's hand and pumped it up and down wildly.

"Hi Naruto-kun! I'm Satoma Hiro! Nice to meet you!"

_So polite_, Raya thought with a swell of pride. _Just like a proper Satoma._

Naruto half-grinned at Hiro. "Um.. Nice to meet you too, Hiro-kun." Blinking, Naruto looked over the Satoma siblings, his gaze jumping back and forth between them. His jaw gradually fell open with each leaping glance.

"Raya, I didn't know you have a son!"

_And they call me the stupid one?_ Raya stared at Naruto, her face disbelieving. Surely the guy didn't actually believe Hiro was her son. He had to be joking. Raya squinted at Naruto's shocked and ecstatic face.

Nope. He wasn't joking.

Rolling her eyes, Raya opted for the Haruka-like route. "Yeah, Naruto, I got pregnant when I was eight years old," she drawled sarcastically. Little did she know, but sarcasm was lost upon Naruto.

Bright blue eyes widening, the _jinchuuriki's_ mouth fell open even further, if that was possible. "What! Seriously!? Your parents let you go through that when you were _eight_!?"

Hiro was starting to look confused, Raya could see. Not wanting to explain the joys of motherhood and pregnancy to her younger brother, she sighed aloud and slapped a hand over her face in utter aggravation.

"Look, Naruto, I don't feel like talking about this now. I'll see you later, okay?" Gently grabbing Hiro's hand, she moved past Naruto's shocked face.

"Wait, wait! Have you seen Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto called behind her, his voice rising into a whiny pitch almost desperately.

Raya shook her head and continued walking, her thoughts returning to the mysterious Copy Nin.

"Nope, Naruto, I haven't seen him at all today!"

* * *

Sinking low in the hot spring, Haruka tried her hardest to block out the intruding voices that surrounded her.

She knew it was a bad idea to come. The gossip was ripe at hot springs like these, but her body had ached for it and she couldn't say no to herself this time. She had reassured herself with the idea that the rumors and gossip about the Hayashi family _had_ to have died down by now. She was right, but only slightly. People knew not to talk about it when she was around. Her constant popping off had added to her already bleak reputation. At least they weren't talking _about_ her.

She had forgotten that four foreign shinobi had arrived from Konoha about a week prior. So, it was much to her chagrin that she was in a hot spring with older women who fawned over the likes of Shiranui Genma and Hatake Kakashi. Not to mention that incredibly weird woman who was obsessed with Baki-san.

_Kakashi_. Haruka glared across the vast pool at the building that loomed overhead. Her heart bubbled at the thought of him, but she popped it easily. He was utterly infuriating.

Take, for example, two days prior. Her conversation with Kakashi had been... enlightening, to put it nicely. Even though his comment about how annoying she was had made her blood boil and his stupid smirk had made her want to scream, somehow he had managed to make her forget all about it simply by catching her wrist as she fled the room. Her heart pounded just at the mere memory.

It was amazing how his touch had toyed with her heartbeat. Her gait brisk, she made the mistake of walking too close to him, her arm that itched to hurt him dangling uselessly at her side. His rough, calloused hand encircled her wrist – she wondered if he had thought it bony, but at the time all she could hear was the thunderous thud of her heart. And all he had done was snag her wrist; it was just an innocent gesture!

Why did it send her into such a heady craze of desire then?

Her soft breaths had collected into a shuddering gasp and his fingers had most likely felt the swiftness of her erratic pulse. He must've felt the heat from her body, because the simple movement had seared her skin and no matter how hard she had tried, she could not remember why she was so mad at him.

Then the rough pad of his thumb began to rub small circles on her skin and she really couldn't remember why she had ever hated him. Any thoughts she had had promptly fled her crumbling mind. All she wanted was to jump the man and act upon the hot desire that flooded through her.

It was a long moment that had ended all too soon for her liking. Tugging her hand away, she had continued her escape. She did not want him to know that his very presence turned her legs to jello. She certainly did not want him to know that a single brush of his hand could make her tremble and forget that she ever had legs.

Face burning, Haruka gazed shiftily from side to side. The women continued their parade of gossip, either completely unaware of her presence or completely uncaring of it. Haruka hoped it was the former. She didn't want to be belittled like that.

One woman, a frequent visitor to Konoha, claimed to be one of the infamous Hatake's escapades. Horrified, Haruka had turned away quickly. Kakashi? _Escapades?_ The thought was nauseating and... well... it made her want to rip the woman from limb to limb. The way the women talked, it was like he was a piece of meat or something.

Which he was not. There was so much more to Kakashi than they knew.

_And just what the hell do you know about him?_

Her face flushed an even deeper shade of red. She found it irritating how her thoughts – thoughts that she was _sure_ no one could hear – embarrassed her. Something had to be wrong when you found your thoughts to be embarrassing.

"Mm, have you seen him training? Simply... beautiful. The man is so sculpted and muscular and so... manly..."

There was a light tinkling of laughter that made Haruka want to throttle each and every one of them. _Shut up!_ screamed her illogical mind.

"But he has all those scars... I don't find them very attractive. It's like he butchered himself on the battlefield or something."

Haruka frowned. What was wrong with scars? Haruka had watched him train the other day and, _wow_, was he beautiful. And those scars had just made him seem so much more... rugged. Real. They distinguished him as a shinobi who hadn't left his battles unscathed and seeing that sort of weakness on him was oddly reassuring.

Plus, she didn't feel so inferior seeing those scars.

"And that butt..."

Groaning out loud, Haruka submerged herself completely in the scalding water. Her muscles welcomed the heat, aching from all the training Akemi-shishou had been putting her through. Maybe she could just stop breathing and die underwater. No one would miss her. Well, Raya would, but Haruka sometimes felt the purple-haired girl would be better off without a negative influence like herself.

_Let's see how long I can stay under before a stupid cow freaks out and pulls me up,_ Haruka thought quite bitterly.

Within a few seconds, a surprisingly strong grip was pulling her up. Spluttering, Haruka surfaced, a dark scowl evident upon her face.

"What the fuck do you want!?"

"Yeesh, Haruka, what's got your panties in a knot? But you're not wearing any, aren't you?" A pink-faced Temari rolled her eyes and released Haruka's shoulder.

Wrinkling her nose, Haruka slumped her shoulders. "What are you doing here, Temari? I thought Gaara gave team Baki a new mission yesterday." Haruka suddenly paused, an uncharacteristic grin tugging at her mouth. "Haha, it still gets me how Gaara gets to give his ex-sensei missions." She giggled.

Temari put a hand on Haruka's head with mock worry. "Are you okay, Ha-san? Is the heat frying your brain? You look thinner than usual."

Resuming her scowl, she swatted the hand away. "You idiot, I'm fine."

The blonde _kunoichi_ nodded her head, grinning. "Anyhow, you're right. Gaara gave us a mission yesterday afternoon, but Baki-kun decided to slip up and be stupid. He's letting Kurou lead the team this time. We're not leaving until tomorrow. I wish Hanajima was coming with us, but Gaara has another mission lined up for her..." Temari heaved a sigh. "If we weren't going to Konoha for diplomatic reasons, I might've blackmailed Gaara into letting me stay behind."

A knowing grin found its way on Haruka's face. Smirking, she glanced sidelong at Temari. "Konoha, huh? Happy to see a certain someone?"

Temari waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Extremely."

"Ew!" Haruka splashed some water on her gleeful friend. "I don't know how that Shikamaru fellow stands you. How do you know he's not... cheating on you, or something?"

Temari shook her head. "Haruka, Haruka, Haruka. Must you have such a negative view of men? Not everyone is as chauvinistic and pig-faced as you think. Meh. It doesn't matter, anyway, because Shikamaru and I never said our relationship was exclusive."

Haruka made a disgusted face. _Gross images._ "Ew. Somehow, when you mention the word 'exclusive', I don't imagine you using it in clean context. Am I right?"

Another suggestive eyebrow-waggle. "Oh, Haruka, you know me so well."

Stretching her body out, Temari leaned back and tilted her face upwards, closing her eyes. Haruka glanced at her, than away, trying not to listen to the still-gossiping housewives in one corner of the hot spring.

"You'll never guess what I heard in the changing room," Temari murmured, a smirk on her lips.

Haruka looked at her quickly. _Please, I don't think I can take anymore rumors about me._ "Huh? What'd you hear?"

Temari snorted. "The old people are talking about how Raya was raped and impregnated when she was younger. According to them, Hiro is her son and her family fooled her into thinking he was her brother so as not to arouse suspicion."

"What the fuck!?" Haruka turned and stared at Temari, completely nonplussed. _Hiro? Her son? God, what the fuck is wrong with this village?_

"Yep. Exactly my reaction. I have a feeling someone saw her today with Hiro and jumped to conclusions. She's visiting him today, isn't she?"

Gazing into the steaming water, Haruka nodded her head absently. "Yeah. God. How can they start spreading rumors about her? Raya's never done anything wrong." Twirling a damp and tangled strand of hair on her finger, she scowled. "I'm gonna kill whoever said that."

Temari laughed out loud. "So protective! Don't rush your chivalry act though. I'm getting loads of free pastries and sweets that I'm supposed to 'pass on' to Raya," she snickered. "At least she's getting the pity act from the stupid villagers. Not like the crap you get. What happened at the hospital yesterday? Gaara mentioned something about it earlier..."

Face falling, Haruka recalled last night's prank. "Someone posted up some 'Lost Slut' flyers on the bulletin board. I have a feeling Kurou put some cocky surgical asshole up to it."

A bark of laughter escaped Temari. "God, that's priceless. But Kurou's too thick for an idea as brilliant as that."

"Eh, you're right. I dunno then. I still think it's some hot-shot surgeon though. They don't really like us, think we're impeding on respectable work. Assholes. Y'know, what with us being awesome shinobi and them being stupid non-shinobi doctors..." Haruka snickered to herself.

There was a peal of laughter from that giggling corner. _Fuck, they're still talking about Kakashi. Ugh. Asshole._

Temari's response was unheard in Haruka's head. The voices of the middle-aged housewives gushing over Kakashi's muscles was highly aggravating. A fiery feeling was bubbling deep within her, a feeling Haruka could not identify. A peal of high-pitched laughter and that burning feeling was intensified tenfold.

Heart pounding, Haruka waded through the hot water, making her way to the gaggle of perky women, who had spread out and looked highly comfortable. It didn't matter to Haruka that these women were the tall and glamorous ladies from the rich and aristocratic clans, from her own mother's social circle. She had grown up with women like these and they disgusted her with their snooty, careless attitudes. They didn't care if they were married or betrothed or anything – the second a fresh piece of meat waltzed into the village, their love lives ceased to exist.

Oh, how she hated them.

"Hatake Kakashi is a fucking old fart!"

Silence. The women turned and stared at her, their eyes ranging from surprised, to disbelieving, to downright hateful. Haruka glared at them. "He's just a fucking man. He's no different from the rest, you dolts! You're only attracted to him because of his 'mysterious' nature – well, hear this, you fucking idiots. He's a _pervert_, a lazy douchebag, and from what I've heard, he's a cheapskate who skips out on bills. So, shut the fuck up and quit idolizing a lying shit and go back to your _husbands_!"

Haruka huffed, all the image of a furious, glorious warrior woman.

With red faces, the women retreated into their corner to sulkily whisper about the youthful teenage bitch that had just told them off. She could hear the whispers about that spiteful Hayashi girl. They were already bashing her height and talking about how she'd never get a man. Scowling, Haruka turned back to Temari.

The blonde girl smirked at her, a knowing look in her eye. "Just a fucking man, eh, Haruka? I guess that rules out Kakashi as a possible suitor for you."

_What the fuck is she talking about? Yeesh, stupid skank._ "Possible suitor? Temari, I can't stand the man. Plus, he's ten years older than me."

"Age is just a number, my dear!"

"I can't take this shit right now, so, um, I'm gonna _go_ now and get ready for a hellish day with Akemi-shishou. Bye, _dahling_, and thanks for your wonderful, unwanted company," she drawled sarcastically.

Leaving Temari to giggle cunningly to herself, Haruka swiftly fled the pools of steaming water and in a matter of minutes she found herself fully dressed in a tank-top and loose-fitting shorts, briskly striding down the street. Kakashi remained the central topic in her mind.

_Asshole. I hate you, Kakashi,_ she thought, well, hatefully.

No butts for her mind. And chests, for that matter. And muscles, and strong arms that made her swoon and sweeping scents that made her knees turn to jello. In general, no Kakashi.

_Push him from your mind, Haru_, she told herself quite calmly. _Just push him away._

And somehow, she succeeded.

It was around eleven in the morning. Haruka was supposed to report to the hospital in an hour, and the time was a miracle in itself. The usually-hard Akemi-sama had given her a light day today, but Haruka knew she expected her to up her taijutsu and study some medical scrolls with her free time. She was pretty sure Akemi had a patient lined up for her, probably some weird person with some weird ailment that was probably the perfect candidate for a new technique Akemi-shishou had taught her.

Part of her dreaded the oncoming hours; she was already on her third day for the bet that she just _had_ to lose. She had been given so many phone numbers her head was spinning, her butt had been grabbed too many times for her to notice and the perverse comments from sleazy bums were mindless buzz to her aching ears.

She was overwhelmed, needless to say. At the most she had gotten two and a half hours of sleep the night before and three hours the night before that, and not to mention she had fallen asleep reading medical reports and the like. Training was keeping her on her toes, but she was swaying dizzily on those toes of hers, and Kakashi was weighing heavily on her mind, which made her swaying more of falling back and forth. And to top it all off, Haruka was not sure when the last time she had eaten was. Food had become a nuisance to her mind, something she could not bother to stop for, even though she loved food desperately like it was her lover. Even the constant luncheons Raya and Temari were planning were hard for Haruka's schedule, but it seemed that Gaara had somehow managed to clear up the perfect times for her.

So, her trip to the hot spring was very much needed.

Rubbing a kink out of her neck, Haruka glanced down at her watch. She had just enough time to see Manami-san. Good. She needed to talk to her. Haruka wasn't sure she could take much more of covering for her colleague.

With slumped shoulders, she made her way down the streets and navigated her way around them quite thoughtlessly. Manami lived in an apartment near the west side of the hospital. Haruka could stop there for a chat then continue on towards her own apartment. Of course, that would take her past the hospital, but Haruka could care less. She was nearly spent of energy – what was walking an extra block going to do to her fatigued body?

In no time, she found herself striding through the doors of the dingy apartment building and slowly climbing up the stairs to the third floor. A few minutes and she was before a worn and battered door with the numbers _102_ painted on the front. The one was chipped enough away for it to seem like there was only an _02_ there.

Sighing through her nose, Haruka rapped her knuckles against the door and waited patiently. The knock was instantly met with the muffled wail of an infant. Haruka tried to ignore the sympathy that tugged at her heart as she heard harried footsteps rushing around to hush the infant's high-pitched keen. Times were hard for Manami, she knew, but she couldn't keep covering her shifts.

"Just a second!"

Haruka nodded her head slightly and leaned against the door frame, closing her eyes for a brief moment as she waited for Manami to open her door. She heard a scraping and muffled curses and a thump. The wailing died down to a hiccuping whimper. After a few moments, the door creaked open and a light brown eye met hers. It widened for a second and the door swung open all the way.

"Haruka-san?" The bronze visage of a pretty young woman smiled at Haruka. A long and perfect nose with wide, innocent looking eyes, offset by a set of full, rosy lips – Manami was easily one of the most naturally beautiful people Haruka had ever met.

"Good morning, Manami." Haruka looked upon her fellow medic-nin, smiling, but it faltered as the seconds ticked by. Haruka's mouth slowly fell open and she took a step forward, chakra-infused fingers brushing against the young woman's cheekbone.

Manami visibly flinched and leaned away from Haruka's touch. The bright light of the hall perfectly illuminated the blackened bruise upon her cheek. Purples and yellows and blues, it spread from the edge of her jaw to the corner of her eye.

"What happened!?" Haruka whispered vehemently, her gaze torn with worry. "Who did this to you?!"

Manami's eyes were wide and she leaned her head out the doorway, glancing side to side. After a quick moment, she stepped back inside and pulled Haruka through the threshold, closing the door with a light snap.

Haruka's eyes darted around the apartment for a second, taking in the shabby setting. Despite the obvious lack-luster appearance, she quickly noticed something she was sure had not been here the last time she had visited.

Frowning, she stepped over the blankets and boxes that cluttered the room and followed Manami's tall silhouette as she strode into the kitchen. A desperate curiosity tugged at her heart, only to fade when she saw a young toddler sitting on the floor, playing with scattered pots and pans. Large blue eyes blinked up at her. They quickly looked away as Manami stepped around her and began washing dishes in the sink. There were a _lot_ of dirty dishes.

Shaking her head, Haruka jumped straight to it. "Why are Kurou's things here?" She thought of the distinct katana that sat in the other room. Only Kurou's had the blue ribbon tied around the hilt.

Manami was silent for a bit, gathering her thoughts. The little girl began to bang on the pots, giggling happily to herself. When Manami made it plain she was not going to answer, Haruka took a cautionary step forward.

"Did he... hurt you?" she asked tentatively. Inside, she felt a heavy turmoil of emotions. Who had hurt Manami? Why the hell was she with Kurou if he was beating her?

The faucet turned off abruptly and Manami turned around. Tears glistened in her eyes, on the brink of falling. "No," she whispered viciously, her nostrils flaring. "He wouldn't hurt me. He cares about me."

"We're talking about the same man, right? Takenaka Kurou? Suna's resident ass?"

Manami's eyes flashed dangerously. "Stop it Haruka. Please. He's been good to me and Takara..."

Both of them looked down at little Takara simultaneously. A warm feeling tugged at Haruka's heart as she watched the little girl playing happily with the pots and pans. Her hair was as dark and sleek as Manami's and her face held the same tell-tale signs of beauty like her mother.

"If it isn't Kurou, who is it? And don't say you tripped on the stairs, Manami. You're the most coordinated person I know."

Manami sighed and leaned back against the sink. She put a hand over her eyes, careful not the brush the bruise on her cheek. Haruka stared heatedly at that bruise. A powerful hand had created that. Her suspicions against Kurou would not die so easily. She could imagine him beating a woman with ease.

"Please, I don't want to talk about this," she said quietly. "It's just been so hard since Takuma died..."

Haruka inhaled deeply. "You can't dwell on the past so much, Manami. It's gonna eat you up, sooner or later. Takuma wouldn't want you to be like this... He'd want you to be happy and to love your daughter even more since he's not around to be her father."

Amazingly, Haruka did not feel like a hypocrite saying that.

"What do you think I've been doing, Haruka!? I've been taking care of Takara and I love her with all my heart, but it's hard! Kurou's been helping me and he's been there for me and he makes me happy. And it's not like I'm not grateful to you for everything you've done for me... You've been such a help too and I feel horrible because you look like hell, but still.. It isn't enough. I just don't have time for anything anymore."

_Do I really look that bad?_ Haruka wondered, but she pushed the thought away quickly and met Manami's gaze evenly, willing herself not to look away. The shame she felt inside was too deep.

_I can't tell her now... She'll collapse from exhaustion if I don't help her..._ She lost the fight against herself and her gaze dropped to the oblivious Takara.

"I'll find whoever's hurting you, Manami. Even if you hide his name from me, I'll find them." The promise in Haruka's voice was unmistakable.

"Or her name," Manami added quite unconvincingly before sighing again. "I know, Haruka. You're stubborn like that. I suppose it's a good quality for you..."

Haruka didn't know whether or not she should be offended. She decided for the former and looked Manami in square in the eye. The broken woman's eyes were determined and firm.

"Just promise me you won't hurt him." Her brows were pulled together almost nervously. "Or her," she added vaguely.

Haruka rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Chuckling, Manami shook her head. "You're such a good friend, Haruka. I don't know what I'd do without you."

With a shrug, Haruka stepped forward and pulled her into an embrace. "If I wasn't around, you'd pine for someone as great and wonderful as me," she said softly in her ear. She tried to ignore how she had to stand on her tiptoes. Everyone in Suna was just so damn tall.

Pulling away, she stooped and planted a kiss on Takara's head. The little girl looked around frantically for a few moments, then looked up. She blinked at Haruka and stuck out a plump fist, gurgling in her adorable language. Haruka giggled and tousled her hair.

"I have to go, now... Akemi-shishou wants me in by eleven," she said softly, straightening up and meeting the force of Manami's unwavering gaze.

Manami nodded her head. "I'll try to make it in tonight. If not... I dunno. I'll see you around."

Haruka nodded and turned, stepping out of the kitchen. For a moment, she paused and stared at Kurou's katana. It befuddled her, how someone as sweet and caring as Manami could be with someone as hard-headed as him. Everyone was full of surprises, she guessed.

Striding towards the door, Haruka turned the doorknob.

"Why did you come anyway, Haruka?"

She froze, all thought flying out of her mind. A hot shame filled her and Haruka did not know whether or not to tell Manami the truth. She had come with the intention of ceasing all help, but Manami was in such a sticky mess... The cold metal of the doorknob was icy to her skin and sent chills through her body. Was it really the cool metal or was it her rattling nerves?

Heart aching, Haruka turned around and smiled brightly at her, all the while wondering when her poor heart would finally crumble. "I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"You're too kind, Haruka!"

_I can name six people who would tell you likewise._

"Heal your bruise, Manami. Motherhood hasn't been so consuming that you can't take the time to take care of yourself."

Feeling sick to her stomach, Haruka's smile equaled Manami's as she fled the apartment building. She wondered if Manami would think her so kind if she had known why Haruka had really visited.

* * *

"I don't want to be here," muttered Gaara irritably, stalking towards the the cheap ramen-centered restaurant with an irritated expression on his face. "And even if I did, why do we have to come here of all places?"

"Temari's paying, so shut up," the_ kugutsushi _replied easily.

Gaara hid a scowl; he remembered a time when both his siblings had feared him more than anything. It was funny how much things had changed. He could've snapped them both like twigs.

Not that he would. He was all about protection nowadays. Blinking, Gaara followed his older brother to a table outdoors, relishing the the cool breeze that tickled his cerise hair as he sat down. The breezes as of late were a welcome change from the harsh winds that normally paraded through Suna.

He could feel eyes on him – well, screw those eyes. The ones that openly stared at him were the ones who didn't trust him. They were the ones who still saw him as a monster incapable of having humane feelings.

_Well, I'm meeting with my brother and sister, aren't I? I'm taking the time to talk and have lunch with them. Seems pretty humane to me._

"Stop thinking. You frown when you think and when you frown, people get frightened," muttered Kankuro as his eyes went over the menu. He rolled his eyes and set it down. "Temari's so cheap."

Gaara wasn't listening. He was too busy thinking. _Do people really get frightened when I frown?_

A young boy of six or seven was passing by. Gaara frowned at him. The kid's eyes widened slightly and he hurried along his way, clutching a coin purse close to his chest.

Gaara's face was even. _Damn_, he thought rather forlornly.

"Ah, my one favorite brother!" Temari glided over and embraced Gaara, planting a kiss on his forehead. Gaara squirmed and tugged himself away.

"Temari, not out here! I'm the Kazekage, it looks funny when you do that..."

Temari, who had just been about to sit down, grinned wickedly and planted another kiss, this time a loud one, upon Gaara's forehead. Gaara had to fight the blush that was burning it's way towards his face. Emotions were a fickle thing. He wasn't sure if he liked them. They were different, yes, but were they really necessary?

Thinking back to his blank, emotionless state during the _chuunin_ exams three years ago, he decided emotions were in fact necessary.

Kankuro stared at Temari. "What the hell am I, then?" he asked in a rather hurt tone.

Temari glanced at him and set down her menu. "I'd say you're... extremely disgusting."

He rolled his eyes. "Y'know, on second thought, I'd rather not be greeted by you. Your kisses are probably as cold as your heart."

Temari gave a light giggle. "Wow, Kankuro, that was so poetic! So dark and raw and emotional!"

"Shut up."

Snickering, Temari shook her head and glanced down at the menu. Her face became thoughtful. Gaara watched her. He liked to watch the emotions fly across one's face. Temari was exceptionally scary to watch. Everything was wicked with her. As of now, she was staring hard at the menu and tapping her chin, her eyes alight with their usual impishness.

_She's probably thinking of a way to saddle me with the bill_, Gaara thought exasperatedly. It was typical of her; get the richest sibling to pay. He didn't blame her though. Temari was a wonderful person, once you got past all the unpredictable layers of her vast personality. She was definitely a loyal person and a useful ally.

"So, how's everything going with you Gaara?" Temari asked quite pleasantly. Her voice was suspiciously sweet. Gaara eyed her closely.

"Temari, I saw you this morning when you tried to get me to force Baki-sama to make you team leader. Nothing much has changed since then," he said plainly.

Her eyes narrowed. "I was just being nice," she said rather pitifully. Gaara found it in himself too look abashed, for her sake.

"I'm sorry. Would you like to try again?" Kankuro was snickering. Casting him the darkest of glares, Gaara returned his attention to Temari.

She grinned. "Yes, I would."

_So easily sated_, he thought.

"Okay. How are you Temari?" She would forgive his monotonous tone, because she knew he was working on fixing that. Gaara just needed a little help opening up.

Temari laughed lightly, a tinkering laugh that made Kankuro snort behind his hand. Temari swatted his shoulder. "I'm just _dandy_, my dear brother! See, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

It was amusing, Gaara would admit that much. Temari's antics would provide a constant stream of entertainment to just about anyone. Nodding his head in reply, he had to fight the urge to grin when Temari smiled victoriously.

"Now, I figured out a way to avoid paying anything at all. All we need to do is eat lunch with Raya!"

Gaara and Kankuro both stared at her. _Eat with Raya?_ That thought was just puzzling. Last he checked, Raya wasn't one of the best hagglers at all. If anything, he'd imagine eating with Hanajima would be the most profitable. Folk were so eager to be rid of her they gave her things for free, they were so scared.

"Um... why?" Kankuro asked, eyebrow quirked. Gaara nodded his head, just as confused.

Temari rolled her eyes. "Didn't you hear? Word's flying about that Raya got pregnant when she was eight, so everyone's throwing pity on her like there's no tomorrow."

Gaara blinked. _What? _"But you know she wasn't impregnated at eight. It would've been all over the village," he pointed out quite logically. Temari scowled at him.

Kankuro stroked his chin, his painted face somehow coming out unscathed. "I don't get it," he said finally. Gaara and Temari both ignored him.

"Of course I know that! Anyone who knows Raya would know that anything involving her virginity is strictly forbidden. Yeesh," Temari said, waving her arms nonsensically. "It doesn't matter anyway, because it's beside the point. Raya plus rumors equals free food. Use your brains."

Kankuro opened his mouth, his utter confusion writ across his face. Gaara gave an imperceptive shake of the head and Kankuro silenced himself. Lounging back in her chair, victory shone out in Temari's eyes.

Gaara decided it'd be best to point out what was the painfully obvious. She clearly wasn't understanding what he and Kankuro were trying to convey.

"Temari... Raya isn't even here."

She wasn't listening. In fact, she wasn't paying them the slightest bit of attention. She had half-risen in her seat and was waving at someone behind them frantically, an excitement commonly seen on her face twinkling in her blue eyes. Two pairs of heads turned simultaneously to see who she was waving at.

"Well, speak of the devil," Kankuro muttered, scratching his chin thoughtfully. Gaara merely blinked than softly slapped a hand over his eyes.

Temari had to have planned this.

"Oh god," he mumbled under his breath.

Making their way towards an empty table were five people that stuck out like sore thumbs. One of them was the vividly pink-haired Sakura, another the eerily expressionless Hanajima, and the last was a scowling Haruka, swathed in a trench coat that covered her whole body. She looked different – was she wearing _lipstick_? Gaara shook his head and glanced to Haruka's left. Oh, and then there was Raya with her purple hair and green eyes and her kid brother.

"Raya!" screeched Temari. Gaara slid down in his seat very slowly, wondering if Temari could possibly attract anymore attention. To add more to the embarrassment, the party of five was only standing six feet away.

"Oh. Hey Temari!" Raya bobbed her head in a cheerful greeting, then looked past her to see both Gaara and Kankuro. Her face quickly flushed a salmon pink color. Temari strode forward and embraced Raya quite warmly and quite out of the blue.

"Mind if I eat with you today?"

Gaara struggled to keep his composure when Haruka began to wave her arms frantically behind Temari. It was quite comical and even more so humorous because the beads of sweat on her brow were clearly visibly from where he was sitting.

He mentally chuckled to himself. No one could survive the heat of Suna wearing a coat like that. Not even with the harsh winds that often visited. Gaara frowned to himself. On second thought, Kankuro braved the incredible heat and hateful wind everyday.

He glanced sideways at his older brother, silently wondering if he was a freak of some sort.

"Aren't you eating with Kanku -- " Raya began, her face slightly curious.

"Naw, forget them. They're horrid company. And stop waving your arms, Ha-chan." Kankuro let out an indignant growl. Temari reached back and patted him on the head consolingly.

A dejected Haruka slumped with a sigh. "Damn it."

Before Raya could acquiesce with the blonde's request, Temari had already pulled up an extra chair and was sliding into it. Hiro, Hanajima and Sakura all blinked at her.

"Damn it!" Haruka threw her arms up in the air and shuffled off towards the table. Gaara presumed she was going mad from the heat. All the evidence pointed towards it. _Who wears a coat like that on a day like this?_

He and Kankuro both watched their sister as she intruded. It didn't matter because she was such good friends with all of them. Except maybe Haruka. She was reluctant to succumb to Temari's winning personality. Of course, if Temari was attempting to rip a coat of him, Gaara would probably be slightly resentful of Temari also.

"Let go!" shrieked the midget time-bomb. Temari shook her head stubbornly.

"No! The terms of the bet were that you had to wear the outfit during work hours! You're still on duty!"

Haruka's face flushed red and Raya, realizing that the timer on her friend's temper had accelerated, clasped her hands over her innocent brother's ears.

"Temari, you fucking moron, let go!"

Temari persisted for a few more moments until finally, Haruka slumped in the taller woman's grip. She looked very much like a rag doll in Temari's gargantuan hands. She huffed angrily, glaring at no one in general.

"Good girl!" Temari proceeded to strip the coat from her short friend. Kankuro nearly slipped off his chair.

_Holy..._ Gaara's face turned red and he looked down at the table, covering his eyes exasperatedly. _What the hell is she doing? Scratch that – what the hell is she wearing!?_

Then he remembered the bet and Gaara had to sigh. She had a short fuse and her big mouth got her in more trouble than it was worth. Haruka was so unpredictable. He had to admit, she was one of the more difficult shinobi to work with. Always the rebel, going against anything anyone said even if she was wrong. Sometimes he wished she was more docile, like Raya, or even like Hanajima. Hanajima was probably just as bad as Haruka, but she took the smart route and kept things on the down-low, whereas Haruka would make a big-scene and give the crowd what they wanted: drama.

Pursing his lips, he avoided looking at Haruka's half-exposed chest. He didn't remember her boobs being that big.

Kankuro had no qualms about ogling at the skanky medic-nin. He whistled under his breath. "Damn! I didn't realize Haruka was that hot!"

"Oh god, Kankuro, shut up," Gaara pleaded, his bland voice conveying a desperation. Kankuro glanced at his embarrassed brother with twinkling brown eyes.

"Too bad she's so short..." Kankuro paused and tapped the table thoughtfully. "I'd like to see Raya wearing that. That short skirt and her legs?" He made a noise that Gaara did not want to hear again. _Ever._

Sinking low in his chair, Gaara ventured a glance towards their table. Haruka was slumped low, much like him, and she was sipping a water quite daintily, her lightly blushed face distant. He looked towards Raya. She was laughing, tucking a long lock of hair behind her ear. Her vivid hair danced softly in the breeze. She was quite pretty, he had to admit. Her wintry skin practically glowed in the bright light of the sun.

And then, quite suddenly, an image popped up in his mind that he had not called up on his own accord.

Feeling very warm, Gaara felt his face turn two shades darker as he struggled to get the mental image of an exposed Raya out of his head. A smiling Raya, with her pink-tinged cheeks and glittering green eyes and long, slender body that seemed to go on forever.

Unconsciously, Gaara found his gaze dropping lower to get a glimpse of her legs. They were crossed so femininely under her black skirt, so long and svelte, perfectly muscled and toned. His gaze slowly ventured upwards.

_What the hell am I doing?!_ Eyes widening slightly, Gaara sat up straight and looked away hurriedly. He needed to think about something else... like...

"Sexy nurse costume or sexy maid costume? I'd honestly like to see her in the maid costume..."

Mental images. They flooded through his mind with surprising ease. Gaara bit the inside of his cheek, trying to curb the urge to clobber Kankuro.

A waitress came by and set two glasses of water on their table. Feeling an extreme heat in his body, Gaara gulped his down in a second and gestured for the waitress to leave the pitcher. Sensing his apparent unease, she set it down and walked off briskly, throwing an odd glance over her shoulder. Gaara hid a sigh and lifted the pitcher to pour some more icy water in his empty glass.

"Of course, just naked would be fine too..."

Without really pausing to think about it, Gaara dumped the pitcher over Kankuro's head. There was complete and utter silence for an interminable moment as Kankuro sat there, sopping wet, his mouth gaping. Gaara watched him smugly as the purple and yellow paint streaked down his face. Silence. Just silence.

And then, quite abruptly, someone was laughing. It was an insane and unpredictable laugh, shrieking and Gaara was surprised to find that this odd but pleasant sound was coming from Haruka's mouth. Pale green eyes traveled towards her and he couldn't help but feel a warm surge of amusement when he saw her hands clap over her mouth in a desperate attempt to silence herself. Raya was blinking rapidly, her mouth forming an unvoiced question; _Why did Gaara do that?!_

Kankuro cast the snorting Haruka (yes, the girl snorted quite often) a ferocious glance then turned to glare at Gaara. Rather sadly, the _jinchuuriki_ remembered a time when his elder siblings respected him. Out of fear.

"What the hell was that for!?" Kankuro snapped, grabbing a napkin and wiping his face. Bronzed skin peeked out under the ruined paint. Gaara was pretty sure if he stopped painting his face, at least _some_ girls would flock to him.

He shrugged flippantly. "My hand slipped," he said nonchalantly.

Kankuro stared at him. "That doesn't even make sense! You were pouring a glass of water! The pitcher shouldn't be anywhere near my head!"

An inner giggle. Gaara didn't have to struggle to keep his face emotionless and shrugged again, allowing a wicked glint to enter his sleepless eyes. He was highly pleased when Kankuro visibly shuddered, unable to tear his eyes away from his younger brother's penetrating stare.

"Like I said, my hand slipped."

Kankuro didn't have the nerve to say anything, but Haruka's rare laughter and Raya's amused face more than made up for his silence.

* * *

"La la la... Haruka, you're not eating anything!" Temari scolded. Raya looked up and glanced at Haruka.

The dark-haired _kunoichi_ twisted a wavy lock around her finger, raising an eyebrow. "Why were you _la-la-la-_ing?" She didn't really sound curious, Temari noticed. In fact, her eyes looked distant. The girl was definitely distracted. Not to mention, she looked distinctly thinner. The bare-boned look really didn't suit her.

Hiding what concern she had, she shrugged listlessly. "I'm just putting words to that goofy expression on your face."

"I do not look goofy!"

Temari snickered. "Oh yes, you do. You look almost... ditzy."

"Take that back!" Glaring, Haruka's eyes must've looked fierce, but they were so hidden by those dratted bangs of hers. Furrowing her brow in concentration, Temari leaned her long body clean over the table – much to the disgusted protests of Sakura and Raya – and pushed Haruka's bangs out of her eyes. It ended up like more of a rough smack than a gentle gesture and Haruka's chair tipped back.

Raya quickly grabbed the chair before Haruka could fall, as if this was an everyday occurrence, and continued munching on something quite crunchy. Beaming, Temari sat back in her seat. Raya was always saving Haruka from falling. Together they made an unstoppable duo: the ditz and the klutz.

"That's much better! You'd look so hot if you chopped your hair short. All that fringe just makes you look cute."

Ah. The dreaded word. Temari smirked as Haruka visibly stiffened. Slowly, she raised her head and fixed Temari with a withering look.

"Do not call me that," she hissed through gritted teeth. Temari was practically bouncing in her chair, ecstatic. It took so little to get Haruka riled up! It was why she always targeted the noble woman; Raya's reactions just weren't as priceless as Ha-san's and Hanajima's reactions were non-existant.

Oh, if only Haruka could see her face now...

Grinning, Temari leaned forward, her eyes filled with a careless joy. "Call you what?"

Haruka's head tilted to the side in an apparent display of irritation. It was really amusing how, after all these years, she still could not catch on to Temari's game. Haruka may have been one of the most bottled up people around, but her anger was unrestrained.

"You know exactly what I mean."

Raya was looking back and forth between them, almost worried. Haruka was in one of her moods. She always was these days.

"And what exactly do you mean?"

Temari could see Sakura leaning towards Hanajima hesitantly. "Is it always like this between them?" the teen asked, her eyes alight with curiosity and unease. Hanajima nodded her head comically, stuffing a roll of bread in her mouth.

Haruka's eyes burned with impatience. There was no other word for it – Haruka was _adorable_. She really couldn't pull off the angry look.

Eyes widening, Raya sensed the bomb's imminent explosion and placed her pale hands swiftly over Hiro's ears. Just in time too, Temari noted.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!? Why do you have to be so goddamn vague all the time!? Quit being such a stupid little shit and spit it out! I don't have time for these fucking games -- "

Temari burst out laughing. It was loud and bubbly, bursting in the air quite nicely. It was a lovely condescending laugh, so nice and contagious that even Hanajima's mouth twitched humorously. Sakura burst into a fit of giggles, but her wary eyes remained trained on Haruka's trembling, fatigued frame. She was reading every one of her movements and there was disapproval shining in her eyes. Something was wrong with Haruka, and it wasn't just her temper.

She shook, a glass of water held shakily in her taut grip. Breathing heavily through her nose, Haruka bowed her head and let her hair shield her face, muttering quietly to herself. On close inspection, Sakura realized she was counting to ten slowly.

Raya shot Temari a warning glare. The blonde _kunoichi_ silenced herself after glancing at Haruka and sobered up.

"_Gomen __nasai_, Haruka."

Haruka looked up, her face a clean mask of absolutely nothing. She nodded her head, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like an apology too.

After that, things petered out into a more comfortable atmosphere, but Haruka had settled back into her contemplative and surly mood. Her eyes were glazed, distant even, as the conversation buzzed around her. Temari kept an eye on her, her face curious whereas Raya was merely exasperated.

Raya opened her mouth, swallowing a mouthful of fried rice. "How come no one invited Genma-san or Kakashi-san?" Her exclusion of Naruto was not subtle. Sakura raised a delicately pink brow, rolling her eyes.

"I couldn't find Kakash-sensei, I _didn't_ want to find Genma, and I'm pretty sure Naruto-kun isn't exactly the best of company for lunch," Sakura explained swiftly, but there was an almost imperceptible look of irritation regarding Naruto. Raya did not miss this and quickly shook her head apologetically.

"Please don't think I hate Naruto-kun! I just... well... He can be tiresome at times, you know? But I do respect him."

Sakura certainly could get protective of Naruto. Temari raised an eyebrow.

Haruka's voice joined the conversation randomly. "He was a great help during that last mission. He may be loud, but he's a good ally. Would've died if it weren't for him."

Silence. Haruka's sudden comment brought all eyes on her. Blinking, she shrugged half-heartedly, wrinkling her nose like usual.

"I'm just saying, he's a good kid."

Sakura laughed suddenly. "You say that like you're so much older than all of us!"

"I am old and wizened compared to you youngsters," Haruka said wearily with a smile, but it did not reach her eyes.

"You're only three years older!" Raya protested indignantly, but there was humor in her eyes.

"My nineteen years compared to your sixteen years -- "

"I'm almost seventeen!" Raya interrupted indignantly.

"Eighteen," piped up Temari through a mouthful of ramen.

"Sixteen, almost seventeen," added Hanajima, taking a quick break from her eating to gulp down a glass of cool water.

Haruka nodded her head with a roll of her eyes. "All of your ages," she corrected irritably. "I'm just saying, I'm so much more seasoned than you lot. Not to mention, I'm turning twenty soon."

With that comment said, Temari saw that Haruka's relatively happy face dimmed somewhat and her gaze dropped to her lap. A faraway look entered her eyes.

_Yeesh_, she thought. _This girl needs some serious cheering up_.

Of course, Temari opted for a more humiliating route.

"If you're so old, than you'd have no qualms with dating older men, right?"

Haruka's gaze slowly met Temari's and she could see the restraint in her outraged and shocked eyes. Her gaze was questioning, almost nervous and Temari smiled at her knowingly.

_Oh yes_, her eyes seemed to say. _I know exactly how you feel._

_Oh shit,_ said Haruka's eyes, for Temari could read her perfectly. She knew Haruka as well as Raya and Hanajima, and unlike them, Temari liked to use this power to her full advantage.

And then Haruka did something Temari had not anticipated. She grinned an impish grin, an expression often mirrored on Temari's face. Smirk fading, Temari returned Haruka's confident gaze with a curious one of her own.

"Oh yes. They're just so much more... experienced, ya' know? Older guys really know their way around a woman."

"You say that like you've experienced an older man before," Temari quipped quite slyly.

Raya's hands were over Hiro's ears again and she was scowling at Haruka and Temari. Sakura hid a giggle as she raised a glass of water to her lips and Hanajima continued to eat like food had never existed.

Haruka's eyes flashed and her smirk widened. She didn't need to say anything.

Raya groaned loudly. "Shut up. Please. Both of you, shut up!"

Simultaneously, the dark- and light-haired girls both glanced at Raya sharply. It was apparent to the others that Temari and Haruka were battling a silent war and from the look on Raya's face, it both confused and exasperated her.

"Please, can we just have a nice lunch? Haruka, ignore Temari and eat some food. You've been looking a little bare. And Temari – stop being so god damn annoying!"

Both were silent for a short while and the burst out laughing. Haruka snorted her customary snort – than denied she had snorted mid-laugh – and Temari snickered.

"Wow, Raya, you're a hypocrite!" laughed Temari.

Haruka nodded her head, covering her smiling mouth and nose with a small hand. "A total hypocrite!"

Hanajima raised a brow. "How is she a hypocrite?" She sounded rather clueless, a rare occurrence for the blonde-haired woman.

Temari continued to giggle, so Haruka explained. "She's always harping on about my swearing – no, not just my swearing! Anyone's swearing! And then she goes _'god damn it, shut up!'_ and it's okay?"

Raya frowned. "That's not fair! It was a momentary lapse of... good judgment! You two are always at it like a pack of wolves! Can you blame me for wanting some peace and quiet for once?" She looked around at the others for support.

Shrugging, Sakura popped a shrimp in her mouth. "Don't look at me. I haven't been here long enough to form any sort of opinion."

Everyone looked towards Hanajima, who was chewing yet another roll of bread. Haruka stared especially hard, her lips pulling back in disgust. Temari's face twitched in good humor and Sakura blinked rapidly.

Raya just stared at her intensely. Hiro followed her example and donned a somber mask.

Hanajima noticed the stares and paused mid-chew. Her gaze flew over the five of them and for a moment, Temari thought she resembled a wide-eyed doe. It was probably the most unguarded any of them had ever really seen her.

"What?" she asked. Bread crumbs spilled from her mouth, sitting in evident white bits that contrasted with the stark black of her kimono-style dress.

Haruka made a face. "That's disgusting. You eat like an absolute troll." Temari snickered.

Hanajima fixed her with an icy stare. "And when have you ever seen a troll eat before?"

She raised brow and smirked. "Today, as a matter of fact."

"Wow," Sakura said slowly, grinning. "That was kind of harsh."

"Someone has to tell her," Haruka shrugged, playing off her rude comment. She seemed oblivious to the dark stare Hanajima had fixed on her. Her fingers began to tap in a quick rhythm on the table though, giving away her nerves, rattled by the penetrating stare.

Raya coughed audibly. "Excuse me, but how did this conversation change so rapidly?" She looked highly disgruntled and Temari presumed that it was because everyone had forgotten her need to portray herself as someone who was obviously _not_ a hypocrite.

Hiro tugged his sister's elbow, peering up into her face with shining green eyes. "It changed because Hanajima-chan was eating like a troll!"

Everyone erupted into giggles and snorts and hiccuping laughs. Even Hanajima cracked a half-smile and she reached over to tousle the aspiring shinobi's hair in a rare moment of affection. Hiro grinned, proud with himself.

Haruka looked down at her wrist and jumped. "Oh shit!" she cried, jumping to her feet.

Raya belatedly slapped her hands over her brother's ears. Hiding a scowl, she glanced up at Haruka. "What's wrong?"

"I have to go – really, Akemi-shishou will have my hide if I'm late again. I'll see you all later. Bye Hiro!" She stooped and kissed the kid lightly on the forehead, laughing softly when he struggled to wipe it off with a grimace.

Raya's mouth fell open and she frowned at Haruka. "You hardly ate a thing!"

Rolling her eyes, Haruka snatched up Temari's bowl of ramen and slurped up a great mouthful. Temari scowled, dismayed that the girl was mooching off her food now.

_Evil. Just evil. You're rich! Stop eating my food!_

"I'll see you all later!" The small medic fled the restaurant, oblivious to Temari's irritated thoughts. There was a brief silence before the conversation sputtered up again, with Sakura asking Raya about Suna and Hiro badgering Hanajima about mission ranks.

Temari leaned back and watched the girl run off, brushing the fabric of her chair absently. Wait – the chairs were metal; they weren't supposed to have fabric. Frowning, she pulled Haruka's heavy trench coat off the back of her chair, then smirked to herself.

It was funny how often Temari was handed opportunities like these.

Turning to the others, she told them she'd be right back and she walked away just as Raya blew up when the owner of the restaurant told her that lunch was on the house to make things 'easier' for her.

Chuckling, she ran to catch up with Haruka's slumped form hurrying away. People were giving her a wide berth and casting her dismayed glances. Mothers shielded their children's eyes and rushed to get them away from this dark-eyed skank.

"Haruka!"

The tiny woman paused and turned slightly. Her face fell when she saw the trench coat. Temari guessed she had just remembered she was dressed like a prostitute.

_At least she's a respectable prostitute,_ Temari snickered inwardly. _Not many nurse-like prostitutes, I'd guess._

"You forgot this." She handed it to the smaller woman. An idea suddenly hit her and she let a grin spread slowly across her face.

"Thanks," Haruka muttered, slinging it over her shoulder carelessly. She turned to leave again and Temari followed her as she walked.

"So, why do you hate Kakashi so much?"

Haruka's jaw stiffened and Temari could see her muscles tense up. Her slouch became stony and Temari had to fight to hide her laugh.

"Why do you care?" Haruka asked tightly, nostrils flared.

"Oh, nothing... It's just, well, he stares at you. A lot. And you two just seem so... tense." Temari watched Haruka closely and was elated by her friend's reaction.

She stopped in the middle of the bustling street, stiffly turning to face Temari with a belligerent expression.

"Yeah, well, he's a stupid bastard, okay? Him and his stupid book and his egotistical comments... This whole program was a mistake and Konoha was probably glad to send his perverted ass here."

_Ouch._ Temari raised an eyebrow. "Wow, Haruka. Y'know, he's not all that bad. Hell of a ninja and hell of a leader. During the _chuunin_ exam..." Temari trailed off, thinking better than to continue along that train of thought. No one liked to mention the disastrous _chuunin_ exam. "Well, he's just not as bad as you make him out to be. Konoha's probably missing his efforts."

Haruka glanced up at Temari and in that moment she saw the conflict in her older friend's eyes. There was something more, something she was missing, something that pitted Haruka against the man. But really, how could anyone be pitted against him? Kakashi was a pervert and he was lazy, that was true, and despite his genius, he _was_ prone to the smallest of tricks, but the man really didn't deserve to be hated.

So why did Haruka hate him?

Tearing her gaze away, she pressed a hand tiredly to her brow. For probably the first time, Temari could see the fatigue in her small frame, the tremble in her immaculate hands, the purple shadows that bruised the bottom of her weary eyes. The girl was a wreck and she was amazed she had hidden it so well. Haruka was always struggling to make time for everyone else – she had just never realized how much time she was sacrificing. For the first time, Temari felt genuine guilt for the thought that she had somehow contributed to those sleepless nights.

Temari would never admit it aloud, but Haruka was probably the most caring person she knew.

"Look, Temari, I can't handle this now. I know what you're trying to do and I just want you to know that I won't let it get to me. So you can stop this now. Kakashi is just my comrade, and while I acknowledge that he's done so much for his village, I can't stop myself from feeling what I feel. So please. Stop messing around with my head."

Without another word, Haruka's body disappeared in a thick haze of smoke, clouds of dust swirling in the air. Temari stared where she had just been, her body feeling very heavy when she finally turned around to return to the restaurant.

Haruka and Kakashi. Haruka, the dysfunctional medic-nin, a woman who feared and hated men because of what they had done to her sister. Kakashi, the elusive _jounin_, a man who kept to himself and refused to let anyone get too close to him.

Somehow, Temari could not give up the idea that there was something they both had in common.

Shaking her head, she returned to the restaurant, where Raya was in a full-blown mood. Apparently, she had found out about the rumors circulating and she was ready throttle the _kyuubi_ container. Temari gushed and giggled and fumed with the rest of them, but she could not remove her thoughts from Haruka.

She hadn't said she hated him. She hadn't denied anything either.

'_I can't stop myself from feeling what I feel.'_

Temari grinned deviously. Maybe, just this once, she could do something for Haruka.

* * *

"Fuck," muttered Kakashi, slipping a hand under his headband to rub the _sharingan_ wearily. The gilded light of setting sun splayed out over his lean silhouette slumped against the dark, clay wall. Evening approached slowly, bringing with it a harsher wind and the blanket of night. The cold was a welcome change; the heat of the past few days had been mind-boggling.

"Something wrong, Kakashi?" Genma's glazed eyes moved sluggishly towards Kakashi's slouched frame. His lips pulled back into a lazy grin as he recognized the torturous look in his friend's eye.

He glanced back sharply at Genma, hating that knowing look on his stupid, plastered face. Hiding his irritation, he grunted, a noncommittal remark that did not guarantee a definite answer to Genma's question.

Genma swaggered over, all the sight of a drunken man as he slid down the wall to sit quite comfortably by Kakashi's knees. Blinking, he poked the knee cap and snickered when Kakashi twitched on instinct.

Wordlessly, he smacked Genma's head with his book in response and acknowledged his bestial growl of protest with another smack. The third smack was followed by silence, and Kakashi, assured that Genma would not say anything remotely annoying, stowed his book away and crossed his arms lazily over his chest.

Genma's eyes burned in the dying light and he stared straight ahead. "You," he began, swallowing down nothing as he fought a nauseous feeling, "are a complete ass."

Kakashi stared out into the street somberly. "Am I?" he questioned quietly, as if considering the thought.

Genma nodded quite seriously. "You sure are."

"I see."

A pause. And then...

"Ass."

"Didn't we just go over this?" Kakashi's eye gleamed in the last traces of sunlight, but there was no trace of humor in it. "We're just going in circles now."

"Shut up."

Kakashi shrugged to himself, a light smirk in his eye. "Whatever pleases you."

The pair of them waited in silence. To the few who passed by the bar, they seemed a pair of smooth and well, utterly _cool_ men, their careless, cold gazes roaming at random as they waited for absolute nothing. They were completely bad ass, leaning back and intimidating all with their unblinking stares. None heard the light rustling in the shadowed alley next to them, however, except them of course.

The rustling continued, along with a slight pant. Kakashi pursed his lips, glancing up at the sky. The purples and pinks were just so pretty, but it was the vivid orange that spoke out to him. It was so bright and confident and pretty, reminding him of...

"How's Naruto?" he asked suddenly, though his voice expressed no interested whatsoever.

As if on cue, the hidden person in the alley retched, heaving and spitting out everything in his stomach onto the street. Kakashi tilted his head, raising an eyebrow.

"He's doing fine," Genma replied hoarsely, over the sound of Naruto's desperate mumblings that he would never drink again.

It was almost comical, the three of them loitering outside the bar – a bar that was nameless in Kakashi's distracted mind – before night had even settled in. Naruto puking out his guts should have been the cherry to a day well-spent; a day spent avoiding a certain dark-haired medic.

But it wasn't the cherry to his day. In fact, it provided little humor to him that his ex-student and current comrade was retching in an alley in Suna because an idiotic oral-fixated man had been too lazy to get rid of him before going out to a bar. It made him rather irritated, and not just because he had been left out of all the alcohol-consumption.

She would _not_ leave his fucking mind.

He was about ready to rip his hair out, but he wouldn't because he was quite fond of his hair, even if it was silver and wrongly mistaken for 'gray'. Gray. That was just so insulting. At his age? _Pfft!_

Not once had he seen her that day, and somehow, it was worse than when he was actually near her. His thoughts had been worse and more consumed with ideas of luring her away and he probably hadn't read more than three pages of Icha Icha Tactics at all that day. She was horrible for his concentration.

So, somehow, he figured _not_ seeing her was not good for him. Thus far, it proved to make things worse. But he wasn't exactly sure he wanted to test out his theory by spending more time around her. She hated him. And she was very much attracted to him. And she had made it clear to him that she was not looking for the slightest kind of relationship, even if it was a purely sexual one. Which, really, didn't make it a relationship.

Rubbing his eyes again, he tried to forget how soft her skin had been against his, how warm just her wrist had been and how much he had wanted to just pull her inviting body to his and just kiss her. Her angry face had set him off. How could he resist that sultry pout and the gentle flush of her cheeks?

_I'm a dead man_, he thought quite somberly. The Cute One – or the Seductive One, as she had become recently – was downright evil.

And she was wreaking havoc on his mind. Raya obviously knew how Haruka had recognized him, and that in itself was utterly infuriating.

"I'm okay," mumbled Naruto as he stumbled out of the alley. His hair was askew and his forehead protector had slid backwards. Kakashi appraised him with a lazy look and decided to ignore the fact that Naruto was too young to be drinking.

"You're as okay as Kakashi is straight," Genma muttered darkly. Kakashi decided to ignore them both. They were idiots to get so piss-drunk. He was proud of himself, to be honest. A week in Suna and he was still sober. But with the way his mind was going, he wasn't sure it would remain that way. Maybe a drink was just what he needed.

"Come on," he said smoothly, shoving his hands in his pockets as he moved past the entrance of the bar. Hearing Genma and Naruto's sluggish, uneven steps in the wake of his made him feel rather relieved he had avoided them all day.

"Kurou, you douchebag! Get yer ass out of 'ere!"

Kakashi froze. Kurou. Why was that name so familiar? The thought instantly fled his mind when he suddenly felt the single presence he had struggled to avoid all day approaching. Desperation suddenly tugged at his heart.

A man stumbled out onto the street, slamming into Genma's body. Many curses ensued as Genma shoved the dark-haired man away. Getting a good look at him in the last vestiges of light, Kakashi felt a sudden curiosity root him to the ground.

"Watch where you're going!"

The man chuckled and Kakashi instantly hated the man for it. It was raspy and disturbing, filled with a dark mirth that left an eerie aftertaste in his mouth. He blinked at the man, all the while ignoring the nearing presence. The man's face was narrow and pointy, with a sharp nose and chiseled cheekbones. His long hair was as black as the night, sleek strands ending just past his broad shoulders. He couldn't have been more than twenty-three, and as Kakashi took in his appearance, he could not help but feel a surge of familiarity. Albeit, unwelcome familiarity.

"Sorry," he said, but he didn't sound very sorry. He sounded quite the opposite, in fact, and despite the slight swagger in his steps, he also did not look very drunk. Never the less, he had the look of a cocky and unpleasant person.

"Ass," muttered Genma. He certainly had a fixation with that word tonight, it seemed. That, or he was so drunk he couldn't think of any other insults.

The man – Kurou, was it? -- looked over the three of them quickly, and he did a double-take when he saw Kakashi. Something glinted in those dark eyes of his – was it dislike? Kakashi frowned imperceptibly.

"The Copy Nin. I heard you were in the village. Hasn't changed much, has it?" The man's rough voice was like gravel, but Kakashi didn't really notice. It was his words that struck a chord within him.

_Hasn't changed much..._

Kakashi stared at the tall man. "What?"

Kurou laughed harshly. He could smell the alcohol on his breath from where he stood.

"Don't you remember? Five years ago, I think. No, six, but it doesn't matter how long it's been. Nearly killed me, you did. Then again, I suppose an elite like you was just screwing around with a _genin_ like me."

Kakashi frowned, still pushing that nagging thought away that _she_ was coming closer. He could feel her chakra – it distressed him, to put it lightly, that he already recognized her presence. But... Nearly killed him? When --

And then it hit him and Kakashi's eye widened.

"Ah, he remembers!" The man's face was filled with wicked elation.

_Holy shit._

"Kurou, you fucking asshole!" Haruka's voice joined what sounded like a din to Kakashi's mind.

_She's..._

She strode straight past Kakashi and halted just in front of Kurou, either unaware of Kakashi and the others or uncaring. Kakashi stared at her, feeling numb. Her revealing outfit had been traded in for a loose t-shirt and a pair of _jounin_ pants and she was covered in dirt and scrapes. The long waves of her hair had been pulled back loosely and her eyes were, as usual, hidden by the fringe of her bangs.

"What have you been doing to Manami?" She shoved him hard, her face livid.

_The kid from before..._

Kurou stumbled back, his attention jumping to the irrational woman before him. "What the fuck are you talking about?" He was furious at her gall, but worry riddled his voice. "What happened to Manami?"

Haruka's eyes flashed. "Bullshit! What the fuck have you been doing to her, you bastard?!"

_Bastard._

That one word ignited the memory he was searching for desperately and the scowling face of a sopping wet thirteen year old greeted his mind's eye. He was shocked; how could he have missed it? She did not look much different than before, just older and more mature, but...

"Haruka, if there's something you're not telling me -- "

"You know full well what I'm talking about! You're beating her, aren't you?!" Haruka took a furious step forward, her fist raised in fury and the glint of senbon needles shining between her fingers.

Kakashi could not suppress the utter disgust he felt with himself. Haruka. The girl he'd saved. The obnoxious, hormonal girl with her knobby knees and spindly arms, sluggishly fighting the silly man before him...

"What the fuck are you talking about!? I'd never beat her -- "

Without really stopping to think about it, Kakashi felt his body move of it's own accord, his arms restraining her before she could send the senbon flying. He didn't think about how he could hardly control himself around her, or how he suddenly knew why she had hated him the second she had seen him. He just moved in the hopes of stopping her before she did something she regretted.

"Let go of me!" She flailed against him, but it was to no avail. She may have been struggling against a rock, he held her so tightly. She thrashed and kicked and even bit his wrist savagely, but her efforts were fruitless.

Swallowing down his self-disgust, Kakashi desperately tried to ignore her body moving against his.

* * *

Kurou was a fucking liar. Kakashi was a rock-hard asshole. Genma and Naruto were drunk shits.

Lost in her own madness, Haruka stilled, knowing she was fighting a losing battle against Kakashi. His arms were like granite compared to the quivering twigs that served as her arms. She found she could not keep herself completely still; she trembled from head to toe and her muscles felt heavy, like lead. This worried her only slightly, as her mind was far too engrossed in other matters to really ponder the feeble state of her body.

And even though the stress was fogging her mind, Haruka could not help but breathe Kakashi's scent in deeply. It was so intoxicating.

Blinking away the sudden dizziness that overcame her, she glared ferociously at Kurou. There was no doubt in her mind that he was lying, except... Her furious face faltered as she recognized desperation in his bloodshot eyes.

"Haruka, please believe me. I would _never_ hurt Manami."

Kurou did not speak like that. The words were too kind, too earnest, too _caring_. Kurou was an ass, he didn't care about anyone...

And yet, she was unable to tear her eyes away from his as his pleading voice sang in her ears. Haruka found she had no strength to yell. Swallowing hard, she ignored a sharp pang in her stomach and gazed intensely at him.

"If it's not you, who's hurting her? I saw her today, she was banged up something awful... She wouldn't tell me who," she whispered, feeling dismayed when her voice cracked from both emotion and exhaustion.

It was growing hard to stand... She was vaguely aware of Kakashi's grip tightening around her, supporting more of her weight. Genma and Naruto stood on either side of Kurou, their faces drawn with suspicion.

Kurou rubbed his brow with his palm, as if fighting off a massive headache. Haruka was astonished at the openness of his emotions; the pain was evident in his tortured eyes. He was hesitant to tell her, too ashamed to tell her the truth. His gaze flicked on either side of him, to Kakashi's face, until finally, it fell to meet her hooded eyes.

He didn't want to talk in front of them. _Well, he'd better talk_, she thought numbly. She didn't think she could stand on her own very much longer. Somehow, this didn't worry her too much.

When she didn't speak, Kurou let out a sigh and his shoulders sagged. The conflict waged on his face.

"Just spit it out, Takenaka," she snapped, her voice low and harsh. Kakashi's grip was tightening and she could feel his worried stare piercing the top of her head like a drill.

Kurou looked her square in the eye. "It's been happening for months... I'll be away on a mission with Hanajima and Temari, and when I return, I find her in that sorry state." His fist clenched at his side and rage burned in his eyes. "I didn't know who it was, but she finally broke down and told me. We can't prove anything though..."

Heart racing from either adrenaline or something more, Haruka leaned forward in the restraint of Kakashi's arms. He was keeping quiet, but she could hear the wheels churning in his mind. She ignored him.

"Who? Who is it?" The need to know was burning at her, because the urge to rip apart this man who was hurting the sweet Manami-san was building up inside her. Manami did not deserve the pain and the struggle life had given her.

"You know Isamu..."

Haruka's heart plummeted. Isamu. There was only one Isamu he could be referring to, a man that was respectable, courageous, handsome, adored and...

"Takuma's brother?" Her voice was a harsh whisper in the falling curtain of the night, but it roared in her ears over the thunderous thump of her heart. Disbelief. _Not him. Not Isamu._

Kurou nodded, his mouth set in a straight line.

"Her brother-in-law? B-but... Isamu-sama – he wouldn't hurt her, he loves Manami and Takara – why would he -- "

She broke off and pressed the back of her hand to her mouth, suppressing the gasp that rose to her lips. Her vision was growing hazy – since when did Naruto have a twin?

"He's been harassing Manami since he found out we've been going out... Says that she's insulting Takuma's memory, besmirching his name... I tried to talk to him, but he just laughed in my face and I can't beat the shit out of an elite _jounin_ like him without looking like the bad guy... I've tried to get Manami to appeal to the council elders, but she refuses. She's scared, Haruka, and I can't protect her from him..."

His voice was fading away and Haruka felt her eyes slip to a close. Just a few seconds of sleep, they wouldn't miss her... But she couldn't leave now, Manami needed her help... Desperately, she fought off the dizziness and struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Haruka? Haruka, are you okay?" Kurou sounded so distant...

Swaying slightly, she could hear Kakashi's voice murmuring in her ear, but she couldn't make out what he was saying...

"Kakashi-sensei, something's wrong with her!" Naruto said nervously, shifting his weight with restless legs.

Kakashi studiously ignored him and turned Haruka's limp body around, trying not to fret over the fact she had stopped talking and was no longer standing of her own accord. Her face was worn, drawn with fatigue and Kakashi suddenly wondered how he had missed the shadows beneath her eyes and the paleness of her skin. Shaking her gently, he murmured her name, trying to get a reaction from those glassy eyes of her's.

"Haruka-san? Haruka?"

Quite suddenly, her eyes rolled back and her legs gave in, sending her frail body lurching backwards. Kakashi caught her quickly, ignoring the panic that rose inside him.

"Haruka? Open your eyes." Kakashi brushed the hair from her face, trying not to seem too anxious. Which was quite difficult, seeing as how Haruka had just collapsed in his arms and was trembling up a storm. "Haruka? Wake up."

No response. Her head lolled back on his arm, thick bangs falling back to shield her eyes.

"Fuck, Kakashi, she doesn't look good."

_No shit._

* * *

Hanajima roamed the streets of Suna idly. The perfect end to a perfect day. Or was it? Hanajima wasn't sure, but while the day hadn't been too horrible, it hadn't been the best she'd ever had. Sure, she had spent time with her friends – to this day, she was surprised that Haruka, Temari, and Raya called themselves her friends – but they had not been there entirely. Raya was too immersed in thoughts of ANBU training, Haruka's mind was distant and ill at ease, and Temari was too obsessed with torturing her mentally damaged friends. So although she had been near them, they couldn't have been further away.

The sun was a glittering disc of fire. Hanajima paused for a moment, reveling in the sheer beauty of the star. It looked so lazy in it's resplendence, taking it's own sweet time in sinking beneath the jagged mountains that encircled Suna. It unleashed a torrent of pink and purple streamers that twirled artfully around the streaks of vibrant red.

Hanajima decided she would bring Haruka with her when she wasn't so busy with life. Many did not know it, but Haruka's hands could paint some of the most breathtaking images ever. She would like to see Haruka's skilled fingers capture the radiant sight of the setting sun.

Wandering, she kept her face tilted up towards the darkening sky, relishing the rising gale that spread through her loose hair. The winds may have meant that sandstorm season was steadily approaching, but the feel of the cool air rushing across her skin was so exhilarating. With no one nearby, Hanajima let the smallest of smiles grace her lips.

Stress. It slowly crumbled off her body's shell as nature's serenity took her under it's wing. She let her mind roam, thinking of the dying day. It was funny how not one of them had realized Hanajima's plight. She liked to think that she was incredibly close to them, but none of them had seen past her facade.

She supposed it meant she was successful in keeping her emotions locked away, but sometimes, Hanajima desperately wished she could just unwind. Let it all out. Breathe.

But no matter how close she got to Haruka and Raya and Temari, Hanajima knew that she could never fully open up to them. It had been bred into her at a young age. Watching her parents die because of the thoughts that had burned so brightly in her mind had been the worst torment she had ever undergone, worse than any interrogations she had undergone in her career – no, life – as a shinobi. Even though her parents had never cared to mention the _kekkei genkai_ that ran in the family, she had never once blamed her parents. She set the blame upon herself and had hated herself more than ever in the end.

Emotions were fickle. Hanajima was resolute with her idea that in banishing her feelings, she could avoid the heartbreak she felt when her parents had passed on.

How was she to know that her _kekkei genkai_ was an impenetrable defense against those who harmed her? How was she to know that it could never be turned off? She remembered the night all too clearly, and it had started out simple enough. It had been a simple enough act; her parents, though proud of her determination to become the most dedicated shinobi of Sunagakure, had fretted over her obsession with mastering every weapon in existence. Hanajima was a strong fighter with an arsenal that would grow into a vast expanse of weaponry, but at the tender age of seven, her parents had worried that she was trying to grow up too fast. They wanted to save her from the sorrows a shinobi's heart underwent.

They tried to get her to have a break. To go out and play with the other children before she finally graduated the Academy and began her life as a shinobi.

Hanajima had not taken it well. As guarded as she was now, she had been more open as a child, but not so much that she could get along easily with the other kids her age. When she began to shout, her father had decided to try a new tactic with his daughter.

She had never been grounded before, but she knew of it from the other kids. She remember Haruka as a scrawny twig that drowned in her long hair loudly complaining about her heartless mother and Hanajima knew that being grounded meant she would miss her classes at the Academy, like Haruka.

And so she rebelled. She shouted and screamed and fought until her voice had dwindled away to no more than a rasp that hurt her throat. Their argument continued into the early hours of morning, when the sky was still dark and the sun was still asleep.

She had not snapped until her father had shaken his head somberly, pale eyes filled with the worst thing she ever thought possible: disappointment. He turned his back on her and walked away.

"_I'm extremely saddened you can't see this from my perspective, Hanajima. If only you'd listen, you could learn so much more about the life of a true shinobi..."_

Those words. They had resounded so loudly in her mind. Her heart had pounded desperately and Hanajima had found her scraped-up knees slamming against the cold, hard floor, her arms dangling uselessly at her sides.

The blood roared in her ears and something dark, something ominous and horrible, feeding off her rage, had burst through her heart and whispered the cruelest of things to her. It corrupted her mind, manipulated those petty emotions.

"Walk away!" she had screamed in her childish voice, a voice ill-suited for the maturity of her words. "I hate you!"

That dark feeling grasped those words and let them resound within the walls of her mind. _I hate you, I hate you, I hate you..._

"I hate you! You don't want me to become a _kunoichi!_ You're in my way, stopping me! I wish you'd just die!"

Her mother was sobbing in the corner, eyes red and puffy, unable to restrain her daughter's rage as that dark feeling consumed her child's body. She pleaded and pleaded until finally, the darkness that engulfed Hanajima turned upon her mother.

The screams would never leave her mind.

Her parents passed away and Hanajima grew up alone, with no other living relatives to her knowledge. Her parents' home became a relic of the past and amongst their belongings she discovered scrolls of information about her _kekkei genkai_. The name had been banished, long ago forgotten, and it was well enough, because the ability had been spawned in an incident. It was not supposed to exist, this _kekkei genkai_, and Hanajima's parents had been relatively sure that they would not pass it on to their future children.

It was sad how wrong they had been. Hanajima's _kekkei genkai_ had awoken at the worst possible moment: in the midst of a child's tantrum.

Ignoring the rumble in her stomach, Hanajima let her feet wander, like she did every morning, eyes staring past the small swirls of dust that rose in the air with each step. However much she loved her friends, they could never understand why she was the way she was. After that fateful night, she worked to banish her emotions because the slightest feeling could spark her temper and another accident could occur. Hanajima had tried to keep people at bay, reluctant to let anyone get close.

And then Haruka, Raya, and Temari had walked into her life. Though hesitant at first, Hanajima was pleasantly surprised to find that she _could_ in fact lead a life with people she loved, even if it meant she had to work extra hard to keep herself in check. She was happy to have them in her life, and however strained things had become recently, she was sure their relationship would not fray easily.

Even if they did not understand her completely, they accepted her and had not run away screaming yet. And for that, she was grateful.

The smallest of smiles dancing on her lips, Hanajima reached up and pulled her _hitaite_ off her head and scratched her scalp absently. Her eyes roamed her surroundings and she could not help but feel an overwhelming attachment to her village, no matter how cutthroat it was. Suna was not a village for the weak, and many knew it. Times had been hard and though things were looking up, Sunagakure remained a home for the tough, for the hard-hearted folk who struggled to survive.

Quite suddenly, Hanajima halted in her steps and found herself before a familiar sloping path. She could see a battered, vandalized sign that pointed up the path and the words upon it seemed branded in her mind. The red paint, sprayed so heartlessly across the engraving, left a dull throb in her cool heart.

The cemetery. The graveyard.

_My parents._

Somehow, she was able to overcome the burning pain in her wet eyes and the quiver of her lips and despite the tremble that racked her frame, she turned around and made her way back home.

_Another day,_ she thought to herself, ignoring torturous pangs that shuddered through her heart, _when the sun isn't setting and I'm not so scared._

* * *

**Author's Note:** This chapter is long, I know. Can you believe it's 19,280 words long? It came out to 41 pages in Open Office. I had it finished a couple days ago, but my internet is whack. Hate wireless internet. Anyhow, I feel proud of myself for finally getting this chapter done. Isn't Haruka such a wuss? And Raya's so self-conscious. And I feel bad because Hanajima's kinda been neglected. Worry not! The plot is coming into play!

And yes! I think I finally got Kakashi's character relatively Kakashi-ish. It. Was. So. Damn. Hard. But hella-fun. Tell me what you think? I love hearing people's thoughts.

Love,  
Ha-san


	9. Eight: Expectations

**Chapter Eight  
Expectations**

As the youngest daughter of the esteemed businessman Hayashi Kohaku and the illustrious seamstress Yukimura Kimiko, the younger sister of Hayashi Daisuke and Miyako, little Haru had grown up in a vast shadow. All her life she had found herself struggling to fill that shadow, to live up to the expectations of her parents and siblings and even those of the general public. At the mere age of three, her mother had decided she would marry into a rich and noble family, one whose name was as clean and pure as the Hayashis. By the age of five, Kimiko decided that Haruka would become a fine seamstress, like Miyako, and carry on the family's beautiful legacy. By the time she was six, she had already put together a list of possible suitors for her.

Haruka had never wanted that. She didn't want to lead a caged and limited life. Haruka wished to fly and when she was six, she realized that living as her mother's pet would never do for her; she needed to soar through the air, unrestrained and free.

Her youthful decision alienated her from her mother, and with no other parental figure to turn to, Haruka became close to her father. Kohaku was a patient man that tried to appease everyone, and though he loved his Haru exceptionally, she was always the one who was overlooked. Haruka could count the times he had defended her against his wife, only to back down when it was clear things were not in little Haru's favor. It was disappointments like these that contributed to Haruka's negative outlook on pretty much everything.

But none the less, the heart of a child is forgiving, and Haruka forgave her father time and time again for his shortcomings, dwelling on the happy moments rather than the sad. She loved to work with him and ever so often, she would accompany him on his business trips. With wealthy clients abroad who would pay dearly for work from the family shop, Haruka had been to many villages and towns and countries and everything about the travels exhilarated her.

Kohaku's health had been on a decline ever since a business trip he had taken to Snow Country. Times were hard in Suna and the Hayashis were no exception to the suffering. Their financial situation had slowly been going downhill, though it was unbeknownst to Haruka until after her father's untimely death.

Upon her husband's return from Snow, Kimiko had taken up the role of the obedient, caring, super-housewife and attempted to nurture him back to health, but he was stressed and even Haruka didn't understand what was going on. The situation escalated until one night Haruka and Kimiko sparred once again with their screaming voices. The stress became too much and Kohaku died of a heart attack.

Haruka didn't know why, but as she lay in a cold and crisp bed, semi-conscious, all she could hear was her father's voice telling her everything would be okay. That the pain that threaded through her body would eventually fade, that the agony in her fragile heart would ebb, and that, eventually, she could live without the hurt and smile honestly.

Without any conscious thought or realization, tears filled her eyes and trickled in scalding trails down her flushed cheeks, furthered by her father's sonorous voice resounding in her ears.

"_We can go to Fire Country and by the time we get back, everyone will have forgotten all about the incident... Perhaps we can go in time to see the cherry blossoms bloom... I know you'd like that, you've always loved cherry blossoms. Now, get up, Haru, everything will be fine..."_

Her heart at ease with his soothing voice, Haruka's consciousness slipped away...

* * *

Pain. It was the first thing that she felt when she woke up. Her head was throbbing up a storm and her limbs felt limp, like jello, and goodness, she didn't realize her muscles could burn and ache like that. The weariness was the worst, however, and she could hardly summon the strength to so much as open her eyes.

_What happened?_

Disinfectant. It burned the inside of her nostrils, irritating her olfactory senses and she emitted a weird noise that sounded like a cross between cough and a sneeze. Someone stirred excitedly beside her,

_I remember Kurou, and Naruto and... Genma... and Kakashi..._

Sighing. It sounded so distant to her ears. Somehow, she found the strength to frown at the sheer annoyance in that little sigh. Something was murmuring in her ear – no, not murmuring. It grew louder in volume until she realized that it wasn't a murmur, but an exasperated voice.

_Then I blacked out. Shit._

"She'll be fine. Silly girl hasn't had a decent meal and she just grew fatigued. Stop your fretting, Raya."

_Oh fuck_, Haruka thought wearily. _I must be in the hospital._

"How come she's not awake then!? Something's wrong with her, Akemi-san! You should have seen her at lunch – damn, I should've noticed. She's been shaking all day. Look at her! Her arm is still shaking!" Someone grasped her arm carefully and assuredly.

_Shit._ Haruka felt bad. She didn't like worrying Raya. The girl was so busy trying to get into ANBU and dealing with her own stress. She didn't need any more worries.

Akemi made a thoughtful noise and there was the dull click of heels as she approached Haruka's bed. Her cold and shivering body could feel the warmth radiating from her mentor and Haruka felt the desperate urge to hug her selfishly.

Something was lifting her eyelids. Haruka flinched and recoiled back as a horribly bright light blinded her eye.

"Thought you were awake. I want you to open your eyes and tell me what's going on with you," her mentor said briskly. Haruka swallowed; it wasn't a request, but an order.

She could hear Raya simmering in the corner. Raya never did like Akemi's sharp attitude with her, but she kept her tongue, knowing that this was someone Haruka held in high regard.

"Yes, _shishou_," Haruka croaked. She instantly hated the crack in her voice; why did her voice always have to die on her? And what was that god awful taste in her mouth? Eyes still closed, Haruka swallowed again, attempting to get the taste – or lack of taste, rather – out of her mouth. A foam cup was pushed into her hands, water sloshing angrily over her shaking fingers.

"Drink this," Akemi ordered. Haruka felt like whimpering; the tone in her voice was far from kind and nurturing. Akemi-shishou was angry and Haruka was fairly sure it was because of her. She could hear the lecture in her mind now.

'_You neglected to keep yourself in good shape,'_ she would say haughtily. _'Working in the condition you're currently in was irresponsible; what if someone died because of your fatigue and carelessness? The last thing __we__ need is a lawsuit!'_

"Don't just lie there like a dead thing – drink it up and get talking!"

Startled back to reality, Haruka nodded her head tiredly and brought the cup to her lips, trying not to feel self-conscious about the generous amount of water that dribbled down her chin and onto her shirt. Inhaling deeply, Haruka cracked open an eye and flinched.

"Oh my god, Haruka, what the hell is wrong with you!?" Raya's worried tone had been replaced with one of pure irritation. Pressing a hand against her forehead in a sad attempt to alleviate the pain, Haruka squinted at her purple-haired friend.

Standing there in all her furious glory with a slim hand shielding her marvelous eyes from view, Raya exuded a severely worried and severely pissed vibe. It made Haruka feel guilty and uncomfortable; all she did was try to help people for once. Raya heaved a sigh and let her hand drop to her side. Though Haruka was iffy about it, she knew Raya looked up to her. Seeing the disappointment on her face only furthered her guilt.

She tried to think of an excuse, she really did. But what could she say? That life had just overwhelmed her and she had skipped a few meals here and there and gradually forgot to sustain herself as well? She ran her tongue over her lips, wincing at the rough, chapped feel.

"I'm sorry," she said finally, hating how lame she sounded. She opened her eyes wider, breathing deeply. "How long was I out?"

"A few hours," she said with annoyance. She bounded forward and dumped a plastic bag in Haruka's lap. An intoxicating scent tingled at her nose and Haruka's mouth began to water. She attempted to grab the bag, but Raya snatched it away quickly, eyes flashing angrily. Briefly, she wondered what was the point of dropping the bag near her if she was only going to take it away again.

_Everyone wants to punish me these days_, she thought with a sigh.

"Yeesh, Satoma, you don't need to be so cruel to her," drawled a familiar voice. Haruka blinked and looked near the far end of the hospital room to see a lazy-faced Genma and concerned Naruto standing on either side of an open window. Haruka frowned, thinking fast. If they were there then...

"Where's Kakashi?" she asked quite suddenly, surprising even herself. Raya raised an eyebrow, a question rising to her lips, but Akemi-shishou beat her to it, snatching away Haruka's empty cup of water.

"The man who brought you in? Suspicious fellow," she remarked with a disapproving sniff, crumpling the cup. "He left after making sure you were okay, didn't say when he'd be back," Akemi continued, an odd glint in her eye. She was a small and stocky woman, only about two inches taller than Haruka herself, with a thick mane of chocolate brown hair pulled into a tight knot at the nape of her neck. Her skin was the color of caramel, warmed by the blistering Suna sun, and there were the faint signs of aging upon her exuberant face. Her nose was small and petite, her mouth broad and thin-lipped, and her cheekbones long and narrow. Brown eyes a-twinkle, her face remained impassive and quite a little rough.

Haruka let her gaze fall, trying to ignore the fresh blood on her _shishou's _crisp, white uniform. She should be working, healing, not lying in a bed...

_Shit, do I always have to screw up?_

Looking past her, Haruka's eyes met Genma's twinkling gaze, filled with an unsurprising amount of entertainment towards her inquiry. There was a wide smirk across his face and the senbon needle he loved so much was bobbing up and down in derisive glee. Haruka wrinkled her nose, disliking the drunken glaze in his mischievous eyes.

"Why do you care, Haruka-chan?" His voice was filled with mirth, but it wasn't the contagious kind. Haruka found herself scowling darkly at him, hating the implications in his seemingly innocent words. She regretted ever talking to him about the silver-haired man known as Kakashi. _Those stupid eyes of his_, she thought sullenly. _They can rope any girl._

Mind moving swiftly, Haruka tilted her face away from him, nose upturned in a haughty, imperious expression. "I don't care," she snapped. "I'm just curious because I remember..." Her voice trailed off as she remembered just what exactly Kurou had told her.

_Manami..._

She clasped a hand over her mouth, muffling a gasp. How could she have been so blind!? And why did she have to faint at the sound of the climatic revelation? Kurou was innocent – he hadn't been hurting Manami at all, that was plain now, just as his apparent affection for her was as well. But for the life of her, she could not understand why her _brother-in-law_ of all people would hurt her so. He was an elite shinobi, a well-respected _jounin_ renowned for being protective and a loyal ally. His brother, Manami's late husband, was dead. She found it hard to believe that he would go so far in keeping Manami in mourning for his brother to beat her from seeing other men...

She remembered that four faces were watching her curiously. Sheepishly, she hid her shock and disgust well and looked up at Akemi, false embarrassment writ upon her face.

"I remember losing consciousness and Kakashi holding me back from attacking Kurou."

"Kurou -- " began Raya, but Akemi let out an impatient sigh and cut her off. "Haruka, do you know _why_ you fell unconscious?"

Haruka scratched her scalp sheepishly, smiling nervously. "Um... kind of?"

Akemi's eyes flashed dangerously and a forced smile appeared on her lips. "Don't give me that, Haruka. You haven't been eating, have you? Don't answer, the fact you're lying in that bed just proves it. This could've developed into a severe case of malnutrition – what were you trying to do, shed a few extra pounds? Haruka, I've told you time and time again not to let the media get to your mind, you're fine like you are. But really, not eating? How long has this been going on? I can't have an anorexic medic -- "

Too many words were coming at her too fast. Haruka threw out her hands, dizzy.

"_Shishou!_ "

Akemi paused in her tirade, surprised by Haruka's outburst. She tilted her head and eyed her student warily.

Sighing, Haruka, pressed the palm of her hand over eyes; the fluorescent lights were too bright. She tried to swallow down the sour taste that had acquired in her mouth from not eating and let her head droop tiredly.

"_Shishou_, I am _not_ an anorexic -- "

"Then why haven't you been eating?"

"Do I look like an anorexic to you?!" She successfully quelled the rising urge to scream and, raising her head, she met Akemi's intense gaze. "_Shishou,_ I just... forgot."

Raya groaned in exasperation, muttering something about how it was impossible for her to forget to eat since she had the appetite of lion. Haruka ignored her and went on, hating the skeptical look in her _shishou's_ eyes.

"You _forgot_," her mentor repeated disbelievingly.

"Yes. You know me – I eat like gluttonous pig. It's just that, as of late, I've been taking extra shifts at the hospital and you've been intensifying both the medical training _and_ regular training... I'm not saying it's too hard but..." Haruka broke off and frowned. "Actually, yes, I am saying it's too much, because I can't keep a handle on things now that Gaara-sama's started the whole program with Konoha and personal issues have decided to jump in. So, yes, I just forgot."

"Haruka, I know you're busy with work, but really, it's disappointing you can't manage your time well -- "

"Actually, Akemi-san, you've been pushing Haruka _way_ too hard lately," interjected Raya. Two heads simultaneously whipped to look at the purple-haired girl for her audacity.

Akemi looked affronted. "I haven't been pushing her too hard! She needs to stop covering for Manami! I'm just teaching the girl. Is there something wrong with – why the hell am I explaining myself to you? Can it, Satoma!" Akemi abruptly turned away and cast her shrewd stare upon Haruka. Raya made an indignant noise behind her.

Haruka gulped. Audibly.

Akemi's eyes roamed her face. Haruka could not help but feel the woman was inspecting every inch of her, from the shadows beneath her tired eyes to the ragged state of her body. Haruka never felt more haggard and dirty before in her life and she began to squirm uncomfortably under her mentor's scrutinizing gaze. She suddenly wished she'd gone and bleached her upper lip, then admonished herself for such a silly thought.

"How many hours of sleep did you get last night?"

The question was so sudden that Haruka sputtered nonsensical words for a few moments before gathering herself. Blinking rapidly, she bit her lip and scrunched her face up.

"Er... three hours? I don't know... I forget. Most nights I fall asleep reading medical scrolls or finishing Ma – my charts and reports... Um..."

"And you've been in the Kazekage's program for a week now?"

Haruka nodded her head slowly. "Yes..."

"Mm... And you've been training by yourself, in addition to our training sessions?"

"Yeah..." _Where's she going with this?_

"And personal issues, you say?"

Haruka desperately hoped she wouldn't go into that. She would not divulge her wanton fantasy of Kakashi ravishing her, especially not in front of Genma... Or Raya. Raya would call her a hypocrite as usual and laugh.

"Yes, Akemi-shishou," she sighed wearily. Akemi nodded her head slowly.

"Here's my solution. You need a holiday. Two weeks tops. Continue training, but not as much. Eat more. No covering for Manami when you get back. I can't do anything about Gaara-sama's program, so you'll have to deal with that on your own," Akemi said brusquely, eyes filled with an emotion Haruka could only attribute as fondness.

Shaking her head quickly, Akemi made her way towards the door, making to leave the brilliantly white room. She turned, however, just on the threshold, and caught Haruka's glistening gaze. "Oh, and don't forget to sort through the jumbled mess you call a life."

Tears. Haruka could feel them filling her eyes. Oh god, she was getting emotional again... Dropping her gaze immediately, she shook her head with a mumbled agreement, hastily wiping her eyes.

"I want you to stay the rest of the night, though, just to be safe. I won't force you to eat the horrid food from the cafeteria though. That's why you've got Raya," Akemi said with a chuckle, nodding her head towards a dumbstruck Raya, who clutched her plastic bag of sweets still.

Akemi stared at her pointedly. Raya jumped.

"Oh! Here, Haruka. Dark chocolate, caramel filling, just how you like it!" She dumped the bag on the dark-haired woman's lap. An ecstatic squeal and Haruka's head disappeared in the bag.

Akemi fixed Raya with a stern look. "I thought I mentioned a healthy, balanced diet."

A slight rustling sounded and Haruka's head reappeared, her eyes closing as she savored the sticky sweetness melting on her tongue. Gooey caramel and a sweet yet bitter chocolate... Haruka gave a pleasurable moan, smirking when Genma straightened up in the corner.

"Akemi-shishou, dark chocolate and caramel is a very balanced diet," Haruka explained quite happily, popping another piece in her mouth. "The beautiful bitterness is offset by the delectable sweetness, thus making it one of the most balanced diets of all time."

Both Raya and Naruto laughed and Akemi glanced at them with a shake of her head.

"Sometimes I wonder about you, Haruka..."

And then she disappeared, a trail of fading guffaws sounding in her wake.

Haruka snorted, sparking another fit of laughter in Raya and Naruto. Haruka cast them a stern glare, much similar to Akemi's, but a smile twitched at her mouth, betraying her true feelings.

Easing into a state of calm, Raya leaned against the wall by the door, completely relaxed. She looked at her casually. "You ran into Kurou, you said?"

Haruka scratched the bridge of her nose, not really wanting to get into that. "Yeah... It was nothing, really... I was asking him about Manami..." She looked at Raya pointedly, silently letting her know that she'd explain things later. Raya nodded minutely and Haruka returned to gobbling her chocolates.

Genma raised a brow and stepped forward, a hand reaching towards the bag. "Can I -- "

"Not in this lifetime!" Haruka screeched, slapping his hand away desperately. As if on cue, Raya glared at him, moving alongside Haruka.

Rubbing his hand, he looked at them both like they were crazy. "Yeesh, I just wanted one..."

Haruka heaved a sigh. "Genma, you have a lot to learn about women and chocolate," she said quite passionately, stroking another piece of chocolate ardently before popping it in her mouth. Smiling serenely, she hummed with pleasure. A cool breeze pushed passed the blinds in the window, a clattering resounding in the room as they smacked against each other.

"More like he has a lot to learn about Haruka and all food in general," Raya muttered quite audibly. Haruka's humming ceased and she glowered at her.

Naruto scratched his head, lips twisted as if he was trying to think of something to say. Haruka thought he looked rather like a monkey. A monkey with bleached blonde hair... Which would be rather amusing, now that she thought about it... Haruka's brow crinkled as she fell into thought.

He was probably just confused. Haruka got cranky when she was hungry, and she had been quite hungry the past two weeks. It was probably weird to see such a grumpy woman so giddy and hyper.

"Well now, Haruka, you seem much happier. Probably 'cause there's food in your stomach," Raya commented quite pleasantly, smiling. Haruka returned the smile, but it dimmed somewhat when her stomach let out a very loud and mortifying rumble.

Silence.

Genma and Naruto burst out into laughter, their drunken faces lost amidst a cloud of snorts, guffaws, hiccups, and screeches. Haruka was pretty sure she heard a few farts as well, but she wasn't about to bring attention to that...

Raya, on the other hand, had donned her motherly face, eyes shining out with waves of concern and worry. Haruka felt that guilt nibble at her heart; Raya was always taking care of her lately. She wasn't sure when it had begun, but Haruka was pretty sure it was supposed to be the other way around.

"I'm gonna go pick up something for you to eat... What do you want?"

Again, the motherly thing. Haruka's face twisted and she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Can you pick up some cheese? Just a big hunk of scrumptious cheddar cheese. I'm craving that like crazy."

Genma and Naruto began to laugh even harder. Haruka ignored them as best as she could, keeping her eyes glued on Raya.

She raised an eyebrow. "Cheese. Why am I not surprised?"

"Because you know me oh-so-well, Raya-chan!" Haruka beamed at her, reveling in the amusement on her friend's face. For a moment, Haruka was struck by just how long it'd been since she'd really spent time with Raya.

It frightened her.

Chuckling to herself, Raya shook her head slowly. "Wow. What else? And you're paying me back. You're finally going to put that inheritance to good use."

Smile dimming somewhat, Haruka bit her lip and let her gaze fall. Inheritance... The mere word send shivers trembling down Haruka's spine. Just remembering the man who had passed on, leaving behind that small pocket of wealth for_ her_, moody Haruka, made her sick to her stomach. She avoided Raya's gaze as best she could, trying to ignore the uproarious, drunken laughter behind her.

"Haruka?"

Haruka chanced to look up and regretted it right away. Raya was watching her, sparkling eyes hawkish.

_Quickly_, she thought, scrambling for some sort of cover. _No need to make her even more suspicious._

"Shrimp. Get the frozen pack of pre-cooked shrimp, tails on because it's so much better that way. And garlic salt. Oh... and... some instant ramen. And maybe a cinnamon roll! You know... Some soda would be good too..."

And somehow, her worries slipped to the back of her mind.

His laughing tirade finished, Genma snorted a snort reminiscent of Haruka's many snorts. "Whoa.. You know, you don't have anything to prove to us. We'll still think you're a completely shallow airhead no matter how much you eat."

"Very funny, Genma. It's weird how, after knowing you only a week, I feel like I've been hating you my whole life," Haruka mused in a monotonous voice.

"If it makes you feel better, I'll think better of you!" supplied Naruto in a sweetly exuberant voice. Haruka chuckled, growing more fond of the hyperactive blonde.

"That's sweet of you, Naruto," she said kindly, though in all actuality, it wasn't really sweet it at all. It was the thought that counted though.

Quelling a laugh, Raya settled for an unsurprised grin. "Anything else you want, your royal highness?"

Haruka grinned, eyes a-twinkle, previous thoughts fleeing her mind. "How about some strawberries?"

"And some apples too, I suppose?" Raya drawled quite sarcastically.

"Oh god, no! Apples are nasty!" Disgusted, she made a face. Apples were horrible. Raya knew that. Then again, Raya loved apples. _Weird girl..._

"Apples are _not_ nasty," Genma said quietly, affronted. Outwardly, he was ignored, but inwardly, Haruka was laughing very cruelly at him. She looked pointedly at Raya, waiting patiently with twiddling thumbs.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Okay. I'm leaving. See ya' in a bit..." Raya turned to leave, making for the door. Haruka glanced at Naruto and Genma, eye widening.

"Wait, take these dopes with you!" Haruka cried desperately. She did not want to be left, alone and vulnerable, with Naruto and Genma. It would, most likely, be a period filled with mortifying moments and laughter at her expense. Despite how amusing they could be, the need for peace and quiet filled her being.

Naruto smiled nervously. Haruka guessed he was still slightly afraid of her. _Bummer_. She'd been hoping he'd be less afraid since the mission. Despite this drawback, she did notice a greater amount of respect. Haruka smiled to herself; she liked Naruto.

"I'll go with you Raya," he offered quite nicely, glancing at Haruka for a bare minute, as if seeking her approval. She noticed a slight twitch in her friend's eye when he said this.

All three of them looked at Genma expectantly. Waiting.

He frowned, brows pulling downwards in bewilderment. "What? I don't have to leave!"

_Damn it. He has to leave._

"You have to leave!" she whined childishly, a pout evident on her lips. She crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at him.

"C'mon, Genma, just come with me. There's a bar along the way.. I'm pretty sure you'll like the bartender there," Raya said wearily, without any effort to coerce the man into joining them.

"I'm not leaving. I think someone should keep little Haruka company. She shouldn't be all alone right now she might... code... or something," Genma retorted in a very lame fashion.

Haruka stared at him with a small smirk. "You don't even know what coding is, do you?"

Genma decided to keep up with his charade. He glared at her. "Of course I do!"

_No you don't. _Raising an eyebrow, she continued to stare at him. "What is it, then?"

A challenge. Both stared each other straight in the eye, both faces intense, though there was humor in Haruka's. A mocking, condescending humor that she was sure would irritate Genma.

One second. Two seconds. His eye began to twitch and the corner of his lip was pulling down unpleasantly, destroying his devilishly handsome face.

With a murmured curse ("Fuck!"), he broke his gaze and glared at no one in general. Raya chortled to herself by the door.

Haruka beamed. "Don't worry about me, Genma. I highly doubt I'll go into cardiopulmonary arrest," she trilled in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"What?"

_Is everyone so stupid these days?_ she thought idly. With an inner shrug, she sighed. "A heart attack, dumbass."

"Oh..." For a moment, Genma looked like he was about to retort when suddenly, he stiffened. He instantly eased up, his musing expression fading away into a smirk.

_What's wrong with him?_

"Okay, let's go then..." He swept out the room without another remark, slinging an arm over Raya's shoulder's. She looked highly disgusted as he guided her out the room, Naruto trailing, bewildered, in their wake.

"So... whose this bartender and what's she look like?"

Haruka stared at the door as it was swinging shut, blinking rapidly. Genma's behavior was odd, to put it lightly. Her eyebrow twitching, she lay her head back down, muttering under her breath.

"What the fuck was that about..."

Vaguely, she wondered where that cool breeze had gone. She shrugged and pushed it to the recesses of her mind, stretching her arms back and folding them behind her head.

"Yo."

"HOLY --" Haruka shrieked and slipped. Heart racing she looked towards the voice with wide eyes. Deep down, she would've liked to say she had sensed his presence, that she was aware of his his warm nearness before he decided to make himself known, but sadly, that wasn't the case. The world was not as romantic as the stories, no matter how hard she and others similar to herself wished.

Kakashi leaned against the wall casually, his eye unreadable, his shoulders slouched. Haruka was sure there was something wrong with her hypocritical mind, so she took her own sweet time and gawked at him, figuring he'd credit her staring to shock and possibly cardiopulmonary arrest.

Maybe Genma should've stayed behind after all.

Even though the irrational part of her mind felt completely furious with him, the rational part was quite fond of him and rather enjoyed admiring the way his hair gleamed in the vibrant light. She imagined it was like silk and she found herself mesmerized by each and every silver strand. Her fingers itched to run through them.

She shook free of her trance and tried to cast him a stern glare. But his hair was just so darned nice. Haruka settled for stoic, pushing away her irritation since he had such wonderful hair.

"What are you doing here?" she asked casually, meeting his dark eye and sitting up slowly. She really wished he was closer, so she could see the stormy blue of that hooded intense eye. It was such a glorious color, so rich and royal yet simple and clear.

He was watching, silent, musing. He was measuring his words, thinking deeply. Haruka was astounded that he could be so ponderous and still watch her closely, aware of her every little move. His eyes shifted with every breath she took, with every twitch of her fingers or wiggle of her toes.

It was unnerving, but oh-so-sexy as well.

"Feeling better?" Haruka realized the intensity of his gaze could be described as nothing but concern. And somehow, this made her feel both giddy and guilty.

She nodded minutely and let her gaze fall, scratching the back of her head idly. Her hair had come free... Though it was slightly annoying, she rather liked the tresses hanging over her shoulders. Which reminded her... She was still in her dirt-encrusted t-shirt from training before... She wrinkled her nose, wondering if he thought she was gross...

Kakashi.

She kept her eyes down, knowing that she would probably lose the confidence to say what she wanted if she met his intense gaze. A question was gnawing at her.

"Why'd you leave?"

She hated how quiet her voice had become, how meek her words sounded. Haruka did not want him to see her as a helpless girl, a damsel in need, a child whose life needed saving one more than one occasion. The desire to prove herself was one that had burned within her her whole life, and somehow, Kakashi's sudden presence in her life made her want to prove to him that she _was_ a powerful _kunoichi_.

It seemed, lately, that all her aspirations were falling short.

Kakashi was silent for a moment, but the room sounded far from silent. There were thoughts riding the air, unspoken words yearning to be heard, and she could hear both their minds whirring like tired machines. Unable to look up, she stared hard at the palms of her hands, curling and uncurling her fingers.

"I don't like hospitals."

Haruka frowned; that was it? She looked up, her head tilted. She had expected – no, hoped – for something a little more... dramatic. A little more heartwarming. A little more...

_Romantic?_ her mind offered quite snidely.

_Shut up_, she snarled back.

Kakashi's brow was raised and there was humor in his eye, as if he could hear the monologue running through Haruka's precious mind. She mirrored his reflection.

"Hospitals? Why would you hate hospitals?" She had an idea though. She had been unable to resist the temptation to read his medical file when he had first arrived in Suna. Her intentions, at the time, were merely to learn more about the mysterious bastard who had saved her life when she was thirteen.

Hatake Kakashi had been in and out of hospitals his whole life. It'd only make sense that he'd come to dislike the facilities. They were magnets for death, grief, pain, and nervous breakdowns. Hell, Haruka hated the place half the time.

He half-smiled at her. "Try being a patient."

This amused her. He wasn't as composed as he looked. "Er... Why do you think I'm still trapped in this room?"

"Oh yeah..." He scratched his neck and looked away.

Haruka watched his sheepish movements with a curious eye. "Y'know, I don't think you're as stupid as you're trying to make yourself look," she said suspiciously.

He cast her an innocent look that resounded a mocking tone that was both comical and annoying. Somehow, Haruka found it hard to keep angry at him, especially when he looked at her so adorably like that. _He's adorable now? Seriously?_

"Really? What makes you think that?"

"Must you say it so rudely?" Rolling her eyes, Haruka leaned back. Already she could feel her lips falling into the slightest of pouts, but it was all in good humor.

His eye glimmered. The urge to jump forth from the bed and rip off his mask and _hitaite_ tore through her, but she ignored it, favoring the idea of letting her fatigued body lounge about lazily. She quelled the fantasy easily, reminding herself that things had to remain strictly platonic. She would only be setting herself up for heartbreak, she knew.

"I spoke politely," he defended, though his careless voice betrayed him. Haruka smirked at him; that was when she remembered that she really didn't like this man. Sure, she loved his exterior, but she was quite iffy about the interior.

"You were mocking me – that constitutes as impolite," she pointed out. Kakashi gave a one-shouldered shrug.

"Whatever you say." His gaze fell to the ground and his hair fell to shield what little there was of his face from her. The simple movement was somewhat foreboding.

Haruka was good at hiding things. So she pushed away the apprehension that filled her with a playful comment. "And they call _me_ a pushover? Wow..."

Silence. Again. Only this time, Haruka did not feel awkward or nervous. It was merely a contemplative silence between two silly-minded individuals. Or, rather, one silly-minded individual. She didn't know Kakashi's mind – though, she was sure it was reasonably intriguing.

Curiosity tugged at her.

"Why do you wear a mask?" It was a straightforward question. Haruka was glad when the mood got slightly lighter.

He raised his head slightly and fixed her with his cool, piercing gaze. There was something within it, something she could only describe as both fierce and amused. She could not help, however, but think it was a cover for something much more dark.

_Stop being so negative_, she told herself grumpily.

Kakashi scratched his chin. "My mask... Hm. I'm sure you have many theories as to why I wear it. I can see it all over your face. You're not as good a liar as you give yourself credit to."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really now? How do you know it's not a decoy, something to distract you from what I'm really thinking?"

"That's possible, but I don't think that's it."

"Stop acting like you know everything!"

"I know many things, but I'm flattered you think I know _everything_." He had the gall to look mildly surprised and bashful.

"You ass, you're just twisting my words around – HEY, wait a minute, you're just avoiding my question!" Haruka glared at him, but her heart really wasn't into it. The corner of her mouth began to twitch.

"Y'know, I saved your life. Don't you think that warrants at least a little bit of respect?"

Haruka didn't know why, but there was something odd about his posture. A sudden interest, a snapping to attention of sorts that bothered her slightly. She narrowed her eyes at him and leaned back, lacing her fingers over her belly to watch him shrewdly.

His comment was a strange one, and it resounded within for a good reason. She highly doubted he could've remembered --

Kurou's earlier presence suddenly flashed red in her mind. Her eyes widened.

Kakashi didn't miss it. He didn't bring attention to it either. He just watched her, his gaze chilling and fierce, speaking out with so many words Haruka could not keep up. She returned his gaze, outwardly defiant but crumbling slowly on the inside.

It was funny how a single look, a singe gaze, a single _eye_ could bring about the downfall of what was considered an established empire.

They were both proud, she could see. Haruka knew she was not without an ego, and though it shamed her and her morals, she knew her ego was extremely large. She was a proud and imperious person and she could see that Kakashi too was having difficulties letting go of his own pride. Neither of them would stoop to address the matter at hand openly. It would have to be subtle, with the pair of them skirting around the subject.

_Well,_ she thought competitively_, let the game begin_.

His gaze was unblinking, a tsunami of emotions that conflicted. She met it head-on with a rebellious one of her own – she would _not_ back down. Deep down, the rational, logical part of her, a part that was ignored too often in her everyday life, found the whole event to be quite juvenile. So what if he remembered her – she had been thirteen, an obnoxious adolescent with a gargantuan ego. Why would that bother him?

It hit her, then, like a stone fist of ice to her gut. The air whooshed out of her lungs in one smooth breath and she realized _why_ he was so bothered. Their near-kiss shone like a beacon in her mind and her face flushed.

Meekly, she took the first step to what she hoped would be an adult conversation. Subconsciously, she was astounded how easily his eye could tame her wild emotions.

"You probably want an explanation," she began quietly, her words filled with a mouse-like quality. She desperately wished she could tear her gaze away, but the dark abyss of endless blue had her caught fast, enraptured, clinging for dear life as she rode out the tsunami.

His stare remained even, locked upon her visage. Haruka swallowed hard, attempting to quell the tingle that rose throughout her body.

"No," he replied, his voice low, almost unheard. Outside, the wind was beginning to surge against the blinds, creating an erratic, clicking rhythm. The urge to pull her tired body from bed to close the window filled her, but she knew would not be able to approach Kakashi.

His reply surprised her; no? She kept her face as stoic as his, refusing to let him see any more of her pathetic weakness. Already he had seen her as a sluggish _genin_ that had been nearly impaled by a kunai and a pitiful _jounin_ who had been injured by a branch and passed out from weariness. He probably thought her a hazard to any squad, a skill-less medic that was liable to blow up over the littlest thing.

That infuriated her; he didn't know her, but she could see the judgment in his eye. One emotion she found she could identify. It didn't hit her that she was being quite the hypocrite.

"No?" she repeated lightly. She struggled to keep her tone civil.

He picked up on her anger quickly. His eye narrowed the slightest. "No," he reiterated. "I don't want an explanation."

The conversation was moving too slow for her liking. Haruka tried to hide the simmering fury she felt by bowing her head. She could not take her eyes off him, but at least this allowed her hair to hide most of her face from view.

"I do, however, have one question."

She raised her head slightly and stared at him with narrowed eyes. The blinds continued to clash in a ferocious manner. Neither of them moved.

She waited, holding her breath.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Haruka had expected it. That one question. With no answer whatsoever, she kept her mouth shut. It didn't matter, she realized, because Kakashi seemed to have more to say.

"Why'd you hide it from me? Did you expect me to hold it against you?" His voice was not accusing; in fact, it was far from it. It was... incredulous. Furrowing her eyebrows, she remained silent, at a loss for words.

Kakashi gave a silent chuckle that lacked the humor a chuckle should've had. Haruka let her gaze fall; she had seen that she had met an expectation of sorts in his eye, and it did not sit well with him. The disappointment came off him in icy waves and Haruka felt herself submerge beneath the chilling waters of his disenchantment.

"You were thirteen. Why would I hold the behavior of a thirteen year old against a grown woman? The fact that you thought I would is disappointing..." He was no longer looking at her, but letting his gaze wander the room idly. It was as if he couldn't look at her.

She bit her lip, feeling very hateful of both herself and him. The fury she had felt had been flushed away and all that was left was the urge to jump in front of him and scream, 'No! Look at me! I'm not an immature woman, please!'

"That's not all of it," she said suddenly. She hated how scratchy her voice was, how low it naturally was. Her eyebrows furrowed and she pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes tiredly. She could feel his eyes on her now.

He was waiting.

Sighing, Haruka released her nose and pulled a hand through her tangled hair. It was difficult, she realized, to truly open up to people. She hated vulnerability.

"I won't deny," she began uncertainly, stumbling over her words, "that I thought you'd see me as that stupid girl if you remembered. But," she rushed on, thinking he would cut in like a hot-headed male. "I also felt very guilty and disgusted with myself for my behavior. My ego came into play and I didn't want to bring attention to the fact that I was an ungrateful, spoiled brat."

She inhaled deeply, eyes still closed. "So... I'm sorry. I'm sorry I've been such an idiotic bitch who flip-flops from hating you to being apathetic. I'm just sorry. And I _am_ thankful you saved my life – in both instances, though, if you really think about it, I wouldn't have died from passing out... I mean, all you had to do was stuff some food down my throat..." Haruka realized she was babbling and abruptly shut her mouth.

Squinting open an eye, she peeked at Kakashi, wondering how he would react.

He didn't look bothered. He did, however, look slightly uncomfortable and deep, deep in thought. Haruka wondered what was running through his mind; she had not been so quick to forget _why_ Kakashi had been bothered in the first place.

He had remembered the little girl she had been. He had, also, remembered what he felt towards her (which, honestly, Haruka was still uncertain and slightly incredulous about). With her _awesome_ logic skills in tow, she figured those two thoughts had clashed and caused a ridiculous confliction in his mind.

It was all quite silly, but Haruka could see how it could distress him. It was very unnerving.

"I see," was all he said. That was highly annoying to her.

Silence. God, Haruka hated that silence. Too many unsaid things wishing to be put out in the open. Suddenly antsy, she fidgeted with the plastic bag in her lap. Chocolates. Her stomach growled audibly.

Kakashi's gaze dropped to her stomach and the plastic shopping bag splayed across it. A smirk suddenly glinted in his eye.

"So... You fainted from hunger. Why am I not surprised?" The tension slipped away as quickly as he had said it. Haruka rolled her eyes, relieved.

"Are you always so condescending?" She shook her head and popped a chocolate in her mouth, savoring the taste. Yes, she had conveniently forgotten to offer one to Kakashi. An idea occurred to her – if she offered one to him, would he pull down his mask and eat it in front of her? She toyed with the idea of possibly seeing his face, which she was sure was absolutely beautiful, then decided to forgo the thought when she remembered how fast he was. He would eat it in the blink of an eye.

She ate another one, scrutinizing him with one narrow eye as she did so.

He looked amused. "Me? Condescending? And what would you call your behavior to Genma earlier?"

Haruka looked past him and smirked to herself. "I would call that absolute fun," she breathed, eyes alight.

"I see."

She frowned at him, taking his previous comment into stock. "Hey! You made it sound like I purposely starved myself!" she cried incredulously. Yes, she was quite slow this evening...

He raised his eyebrow. "And did you?"

"Absolutely not! I'll have you know, Hatake, I don't appreciate your assumptions. I merely _forgot_," she corrected in a bookish voice.

He looked skeptical. _Why do they all look skeptical?!_

"You forgot."

Haruka nodded her head. "Yes. I forgot. I happen to eat a lot. Probably more than you – I do remember when you ate that ramen all those years ago. Fricking fast, and certainly not good for you. Oh, sorry, I get sidetracked easily... Well... I eat a lot. Usually more than two average males. I've just been spending the last month or so studying, you know? Akemi-shishou's got me perfecting every medical technique known to man. Some of the physicians at the hospital have been complaining that training medic-nins takes so much of the hospital's funding, so she wants to prove that it's being put to good use... Which is really, stupid, isn't it? I mean.. We're saving lives. We're ensuring the survival of our shinobi, the protectors of our village. They're just pissed because they don't get paid much. Boring lives, boring cases..."

Haruka paused, suddenly, feeling very silly. "I'm babbling, aren't I?"

Kakashi smiled at her. The simple gesture brought butterflies to her stomach. "Yes."

She could feel her face turning red. "Um.. heh. I babble. A lot. How'd I get from eating to medicine?" She raised a brow, changing the subject to disguise how flustered she had suddenly become.

The smile in his eye grew brighter. He could see through her. Her face burned.

"You were explaining why you 'forgot' to eat," he supplied easily. She could see the smile behind his mask, the corners of his mouth pulled upwards. Haruka was amazed how a smile – mostly hidden from her – could take her breath away. She had seen him smile before, but nothing had been as real as this. It left a pleasant tickle in her stomach.

She liked it so much more than his laugh.

Feeling warm, she looked down at her lap. There was another piece of chocolate in her hand. She blinked and looked up.

"Want one?" she asked, holding out her hand.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her. "No thank you," he said with a chuckle.

Oh, god, that chuckle. Haruka desperately wanted him to laugh now.

She smiled at him. "It's dark chocolate. Not that overly sweet milk chocolate. C'mon... You know you want it."

"Um..."

Her smile widened. Hadn't he told her to smile more? Maybe she could win him over with her smile. Her hand still aloft, she leaned forward slightly. "A delicious, gooey, caramel center. No one can resist such a chocolate."

He was chuckling again, probably at her earnestness. It was rolling, so velvety. Haruka relished the sound and smiled brighter at him, shaking her hand back and forth teasingly. "Just take it! I promise, I won't look while you eat it."

Shaking his head, he stepped forward and took the piece from her hand. His hand engulfed hers needlessly, calloused fingertips grazing against her palm in an achingly slow fashion. Haruka's heart leapt in her chest and she fought to keep from blushing even more.

"Haruka?"

There was a voice at the door. A familiar monotone that irritated Haruka instantly, only this time for ruining a perfectly splendid moment between her and Kakashi.

Too late she realized she had decided to keep things platonic between them.

"Hanajima? Come in!" Haruka's eyes jumped towards the door reluctantly. Though she loved her friend, Haruka could not help but wish she could have more time alone with Kakashi. Disconcerted by the thought, she shook her head.

The blonde woman pushed open the door and lingered on the threshold. Moonlight splayed through the window, shattered into small rays by the wild blinds. Illuminated, Hanajima paused and gazed at the window for a few hard moments.

"Who were you talking to?" she asked. Though her tone was blank, Haruka sensed the curiosity. Frowning, she followed her friend's gaze and jumped.

Kakashi was gone.

Frowning, she stared at the window, watching the dancing blinds with an absent gaze. "What... Kakashi... Why'd he... ? Huh."

Hanajima watched her quietly, eyes gleaming. "Kakashi was here?"

Haruka looked up at her and nodded slowly. "Yeah. He was the one who brought me to the hospital..."

Her friend looked thoughtful and grabbed a lone chair near the door, dragging it towards the bed. Swinging it around, she sank into it and watched Haruka with faraway eyes.

Haruka blinked at her. "Are you okay?"

"Oh... Yes. I'm fine." Hanajima smiled at her; Haruka could not help but feel there was something odd about that smile. It was different from her friend's hidden, rare smile, almost forced. Just about to address it in a blunt manner one had to don with Hanajima, she was interrupted.

"So. Kakashi. Temari has this theory, you know, about you and him..."

Haruka's face blanched. What was with all these god damn implications? Nostrils flared she scowled at Hanajima and remained silent. _Stupid Temari.._

A smirk tugged at her friend's mouth. She resisted the urge to groan and bury her face in her pillow and instead waited for Hanajima to continue.

"She seems to think you like him... I told her that's preposterous, that it's inconceivable, because Haruka can't _stand_ Kakashi, but Temari kept insisting that you like him. So I took the time to watch you for the past couple of days and well..."

She didn't have to say anymore. Haruka pouted, folding her arms over her chest, meeting Hanajima's glimmering eyes for a mere second before looking away.

"Like can mean a number of things, like a juvenile interest, or a simple fondness for another, an admiration..."

"Let's stick with something like a juvenile interest mixed with complete and total lust," Hanajima interjected quite artfully.

Haruka's pout deepened. "How in the world did you and Temari come up with this? Kakashi's irritating; someone like me could _never_ fall for someone like him."

It sounded stupid even in her ears.

"Oh, come on. Get off your high horse and admit it. Let's not be conceited."

She glared at her. "I am _not_ being conceited!" she replied huffily.

"No, you are. Just admit it. You're in complete and total like with Kakashi," Hanajima said briskly, pulling a stray thread from her black sleeve and flicking it in the air. The wind that clattered the blinds gusted it into the air and Haruka stared at the small scarlet thread floating dreamily. Her treacherous mind wondered where Kakashi had gone.

"Let's say it's true," Haruka said slowly, eyes following the thread's journey to the linoloeum floor. " -- and I am in complete and total like with him. How would you react?"

The wind blew the thread towards Haruka and she watched its slow descent to the white sheet of the bed. Plucking it from the air, she rolled it between her fingers and avoided Hanajima's gaze.

Hanajima watched her, all humor eradicated from her face. "I would wonder if it's best for you," she said quietly.

Only then did Haruka's eyes traveled towards her. The solemn chill in the air was almost suffocating, she realized, and seeing Hanajima say something so intimate, to her of all people, filled her heart with a pang that resounded icily. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to smile.

Somehow, the conversation had drifted from innocent like to something far more grave. Haruka knew they were no longer talking about Kakashi.

She gave a gentle laugh. "Oh, lighten up Hanajima! It's a simple matter of liking someone. I never actually admitted to anything, did I?"

"Sometimes I wonder if your brain is really as okay as you look. No offense, but you can be really fake sometimes," Hanajima sighed in a rare moment of honest emotion.

_Ugh._

Haruka rolled her eyes. "It's so rare for you to worry, Hanajima, so stop wasting your few worrying moments on someone like me," she said with a snort, falling back against the bed. She wrapped the thread about her finger, ignoring Hanajima's perplexed stare.

"You're insane."

"That's okay. You are too. We make a good team," she replied easily, with a smile too perfect to be real.

"What about Raya?" Finally, some mood-lifters!

"We've been with her for a while. Our insanity will rub off on her eventually," she remarked lazily.

"Uh... It already has."

The pair of them chuckled softly. Neither of them would ever mention the topic of insanity with Raya, but it was nice to know that there was at least one _almost _normal person in their trio. Scratching the tip of her nose gently, Haruka tried not to think how her near admittance was quite literally a confirmation of Hanajima's suspicions and how Kakashi had probably lingered nearby and heard it.

_Aw crap._

"Mm... So, what's this I hear about you starving yourself?"

"For the last time, I am NOT starving myself!"

* * *

Raya fled her grandparents' home, trying her hardest not to scowl. But it was difficult, what with her blood boiling in her veins and fury bubbling in her heart. They meant well, she knew, but she hated how older folk just pushed and pushed and pushed until you were one inch beyond your limit.

Raya felt she had been pushed far past one inch of her limit. In fact, she felt as if she had been pushed so far her limit could no longer be seen if she whirled around and looked for it.

Again, she knew they meant well. Her grandparents were esteemed folk in the ninja community. They're opinions were valued, their advice held in high regard, but sometimes she just could not stand it when they tried to push the Satoma clan up to the spotlight they once occupied.

Brushing locks of purple from her face, Raya tied her hair back into bun. Really, she needed to chop it all off one day. The temptation was overwhelming. She did not dwell on this momentary thought, however, for she was rushing as it was to meet a newly discharged Haruka at the hospital. Glancing up at the morning sky, Raya wished she shouldn't have visited her grandparents first.

The meeting had gone swell, up until her grandmother had opened her mouth and said the words she found herself dreading every time she visited.

"_Raya, there's this nice man, only a few years older than you... He works in the Kazekage's office – I think you should consider meeting him. You're at a ripe and marriageable age..."_

Sometimes, Raya compared her grandmother to Mrs. Hayashi when visits like this occurred. While the match-making aspect was much the same with both women, Raya found herself regretting ever comparing her grandmother with Mrs. Hayashi. Not that she hated Haruka's mother, but she just felt a severe dislike towards the woman.

As it was, Raya had declined more than twice when her grandparents sought to set her up with a possible suitor. She tried to avoid visits like so as much as she could, but sometimes it was difficult to elude such conversations. It brought her mood down and made her feel highly irritable – she was sixteen! She thought that of all people, her grandparents would understand her need to attain near perfection as a shinobi; sixteen was much too early an age for a_ kunoichi_ like her to get married.

She had only once met with one of the men her grandmother had set her up with. It had ended with Raya dumping her dinner on the man's lap – a definite disaster.

Raya didn't mind though. She always fled to Haruka after such meetings and it was these times that Raya felt grateful for having such a friend. Haruka did not dwell on consoling Raya outright but only in making her smile and laugh. Sometimes, Raya wished everyone could see _this _side of her good friend, the genuine side that honestly cared for others, but that wasn't the case. People saw what they wanted and Suna was not a forgiving village.

The morning light gilded her frame as she bounded over the rooftops, gusting winds providing a gentle slap to her skin that felt wonderful when she remembered all the hot summers she had spent pining for a whisper of a breeze. The progression towards fall was welcome to all the inhabitants of the village. Sandstorm season was coming up, the downside of cooler days.

Raya tried to let it all go. With every step she took, she struggled to let her distaste for traditions fall away. Arranged marriages. She hated how her grandmother and grandfather constantly tried to arrange her life. They were only trying to dissuade her from following the path of her parents, to keep her out of harm's way, but Raya despised it. Her parents were what made her _her. _It was their actions, their pasts, their lives, their memories that made her want to follow in their footsteps. This was her home and she wanted to protect it. Her grandparents were all for that, but getting her married off? She knew if she married now or in a few years or so, especially to the men her grandparents offered her, her life as a shinobi would be over. She would most likely get a desk job and work as some clerk or teacher and her skills would only be utilized during a crisis.

That did not sit well with her. Raya had plans. She had plans since she was little; plans helped her collect her thoughts, helped her get a sense of what she was doing and how she would do it. Marriage would ruin them.

She tried to console herself with the idea that Haruka and Hanajima would make her feel better, but she felt that selfish and instantly banished the thought.

Passing by a small playground near the Academy, Raya smiled and waved at a pair of little girls calling to her enthusiastically. _Probably aspiring kunoichi_, she thought, her heart warming slightly. It always felt good to see more females in male-oriented career.

With a sigh, Raya found herself just a block away from the hospital. The village was bustling even at this hour, though Raya knew it wasn't that early. No more than seven thirty, but still... Watching from above, Raya let her mind wander away. The villagers looked so small, going about their everyday lives, like little dolls at play. The thought amused her. So many lives, so many webs, so many connections. Everything linked to another, creating a great chain of events...

Leaping from the roof, Raya landed nimbly on the ground and joined this world of dolls quite eagerly. Along the way she was greeted by vendors who knew her well from her childhood of traversing these streets. Pastries were pushed into her hands by old bakers who were like aunts to her, smiles exchanged as she bid some _jounin_, like uncles to her, a good morning.

It was so routine, so customary, so... traditional. If anything, Raya enjoyed this simple lifestyle, but sometimes she yearned for something more... something different.

Haruka, however, had always desired the simple lifestyle. She had grown up with the gossip and intrigue that surrounded the lives of the privileged and the schemes and complicated words with double-meanings had sickened her. But Suna never was able to fully accept her. Hanajima was much the same, and she too was not fully accepted. Haruka and Hanajima were different and abnormalities were looked down upon.

Raya wished she could be more different. As it was, she was teetering on the edge, her plans weighing heavily on her mind.

"Bah," she muttered to herself pushing through the crowds. Living in Suna was a love-hate relationship for many.

Turning the corner, Raya made her way towards the step of the tall adobe hospital. It looked so homely, so rural, but Sunagakure had never spent much money on aesthetics, much to her chagrin. It was necessary, though, and as Hanajima quoted often, looks could be deceiving. And they were. The recent years had found more funding for the hospital and things were slowly looking up.

"Raya!" At the top of the stairs that led to the hospital perched Haruka, waving her arms with a dazzling smile on her lips. Raya's heart warmed at the sight of her looking so bright and exuberant for a change. She had changed from her dirtied clothes from the day before into a pair of fitted _jounin_ pants and a loosely-fitted t-shirt of pale blue.

Bounding up the steps, Raya stopped just before her friend with a grin; maybe that would be enough to decieve her.

Haruka looked up at her and her smile gradually faded. A crease appeared between her straight brows. "What happened?"

_Aw shit_, Raya thought with an inner sigh. She smiled wanly at her friend. "You always see through me. Ugh, it's nothing much. A typical visit with my grandparents, that's all..."

Haruka nodded sagely, understanding perfectly. "Ah... I see. Well, don't let it weigh you down. C'mon, child, let's go train!"

_What the --_ "Haruka! You've only _just_ been discharged! You can't go training right now!"

Haruka wasn't seeing any of it. With a roll of her eyes and a snort of her nose, she stood up and looped her arm around Raya's, guiding her down the steps confidently. Raya watched her from the corner of her eye, scrutinizing her warily. Haruka still looked like hell, and though the color had returned to her golden complexion, there were still bags under her eyes and her hair was ratted and tangled.

"My dear child... I can't just... _go home_. I need to do something. Besides... I already look like a complete weakling to the Konoha peeps. It's only..." Haruka paused and grabbed a random person's wrist, squinting at the digital clock. There was a yelp of surprise from the young man. Haruka nodded her thanks to him and pulled Raya along down the street. "It's only seven forty two. I just need to warm up a bit. I feel like jello!"

She looked at her friend side-long, quirking a brow. "You feel like jello because you haven't been nourishing your frickin' body, idiot. I don't think training is gonna make them feel any less jelly-like! Seriously, Ha-san, you don't make sense sometimes."

Haruka heaved a mock-sigh. "I never make sense. Me making sense is almost as rare as me not falling flat on my face."

Raya began to chuckle. It was that rare. Quickly, though, she halted her laughter and cast her friend, her sister, almost, a shrewd eye. "I'll let you train as long as you eat something. And not something small or junky. You have to eat something good for you. All those chocolates and shrimps last night will never do you good."

"Mm... I want shrimps... Maybe tempura..." Haruka rubbed her belly absently, gazing off. She suddenly tripped over a loose stone, but Raya had anticipated it and kept a firm grip on her arm, hauling her upwards.

"Ugh. Tempura is horrible," she said with utter disgust. Haruka threw her a shocked look.

"Do not insult the tempura! It's wonderful! Especially with that delicious sweet and sour sauce... Or whatever it is..." Haruka licked her lips wistfully. Raya eyed her; it was amazing how someone like her could go so long without eating anything decent.

"Its an abomination. It should die," she commented darkly.

Haruka stopped and stared at her for a moment. "Um... Tempura _is_ dead. I mean, it _is_ fried shrimp," she pointed out, brows quirked.

"Yeah, well... shut up," Raya muttered. _Stupid Haruka_.

Haruka grinned at her. "Stop insulting me," she sang aloud, her voice a loud chirp.

"Who says I'm insulting you?" Raya mused quite sarcastically. Haruka rolled her eyes, pushing her long, waving bangs out of her face.

"I can practically hear your mind. It's not very nice, my child. Besides, if your tone of voice didn't give you away, your face would've. In this case, all three point to insults. There."

"That _kind_ of makes sense, Ha-san, but that's not much of an improvement for you..."

"Shut up," Haruka said happily. The sweet smells of a brownies and cakes wafted through Raya's nose, making her mouth water. The culprit of such deliciousness was a vendor, selling the goods of a well-known bakery in the village. Haruka flashed a smile at the old man manning the vendor and snatched up a large chocolate muffin. She skipped off, leaving Raya to pay. Fumbling for change, Raya paid the man and chased off after her giddy friend.

"You owe me," she muttered irritably, without shame. The money her father had left her friend gave her the ability to begrudge Haruka's habit of not paying her back...

Haruka just grinned about her. She wasn't as angry as people took her for. "I know," she replied daintily, somehow, through a big mouthful of muffin. Raya wrinkled her nose; and this was the girl who had the gall to criticize Hanajima for her gross eating habits? Haruka was quite the hypocrite.

The sun beat down on them. The winds had suddenly vanished, leaving the atmosphere hot and dry. Raya felt sticky with sweat. And here they were, on their way to the training grounds, of all places. She suddenly wished they could utilize the underground training areas they used during sandstorm season.

She played with the idea in her head; should she propose the idea? She abandoned it quickly, not wanting to look like a wuss.

"Ugh. Where'd the wind go? It was here just a minute ago... It's so hot..." Raya complained. It was only Haruka, and she wouldn't care. She probably felt just the same.

She did.

"Fucking wind. Come back!" Haruka whirled around and began to walk backwards, ahead of Raya. She took aim at a nearby trashcan and let loose the crumpled muffin cup. Raya didn't have to look to know Haruka made the shot. Years of training with senbon needles and targets had made her that good.

"Do we absolutely have to go training? It's fricking hot."

Haruka's eyes widened in mock astonishment. "Do my ears deceive me? Is the determined Satoma Raya slacking off?" Her mouth dropped.

_So dramatic. She would've made an award-winning actress._ Raya rolled her eyes. "You're so retarded. You make me out to be some prudish nerd who only trains and studies! Which is _so_ funny because you're always studying more than me!"

Haruka was just ruffling her feathers. As always. The young woman smirked at her. "Don't forget it's a contradiction too since I also make you out to be a complete and total ditz. " She laughed in a high-pitched girlish fashion. Raya jumped; the sound was terrifying.

"Don't laugh like that _ever_ again. That was horrific!" she cried, shuddering with disgust. "You were like a perky school girl!"

Haruka's smirk deepened. "Exactly. Everything we stand against. Horrible, innit?" Haruka yawned, out of nowhere, and stretched her arms high above her head.

"And I'm not a ditz..."

"I know. People are stupid. They see what they choose to see." There was a skip in Haruka's step as she slowed and circled around her happily. Raya laughed.

_Seriously, if Kakashi could see her now, he'd never say she was uptight_... Raya's laugh bubbled into a snigger as Haruka's foot twisted and sent her sprawling to the ground. She sat up and pouted at the chortling Raya.

"It's not funny!" she whined, holding her ankle tightly. Raya chuckled.

"Are you kidding me? It never gets old! I swear, I have every memory of you falling flat on your ass. It's like... burned into my mind for all of eternity..."

Haruka scowled up at her and pulled herself to her feet, brushing off her the back of her pants. "You suck," she muttered, stalking down the street.

Raya's laughter grew louder and she trailed after Haruka slowly, relishing each and every fall she could remember. The memories were wonderful, filled with some of the best and worst falls a person could undergo.

"Don't worry!" she called with a giggle. "Most of them are really beautiful falls!"

Haruka's growl only made them all the better. Raya's laughter echoed around them, drawing small smiles from folk who found the sound to be pleasant. Haruka rubbed her neck irritably.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, it's _funny_. Now shut up! Goodness..." Haruka muttered to herself. She paused beside Raya suddenly. "What are you doing after we train?"

_Random_, she thought. Raya bit her lip. She had plans... But she didn't want to offend Haruka...

Haruka saw it on her face. She smiled gently, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Dude, you don't have to worry about making me feel bad. If you have something to do, just tell me. It's not like I'm gonna fall and sob because I feel like you're abandoning me."

That was Haruka for you. Raya watched her closely as she thought out her reply.

"Yeah, but I don't _want_ you to feel bad. That's the point. You may _act_ like you don't feel bad, but how am I supposed to know?"

Haruka laughed out loud, a very different laugh that Raya didn't know what to make of.

"Fine! It doesn't matter! I'm gonna spend some time with my nieces... There, now you can't offend me."

Raya begged to differ. She was pretty sure Haruka could still be offended. She might've been, for all she knew, covering up her hurt with jokes, as was usual. Raya sighed though. It was impossible to tell sometimes.

"I'm gonna go visit the ruins. It's so calming and relaxing there. I need to figure out a polite way to reject my grandmother's latest match-making schemes..."

Haruka let out a long and hard bark of a laugh that melted away Raya's worries that she was hiding something. She couldn't help but smile at such a genuine sound.

* * *

Suna, Kakashi had come to see, was not all that different from Konoha. The local tea shop was home to the slandering gossips, the kind he knew so very well from when he was a kid; the training grounds were filled with the same grim-faced shinobi who were dedicated to perfecting their techniques; the wise-ass guys who tried to drown out their sorrows with alcohol could be found in any bar; across the street he could see what was either Naruto or Naruto's Suna equivalent, guzzling away at ramen like he had an unquenchable thirst. The Kazekage-Hokage parallel was quite amusing too – Gaara had his shinobi under tight rule (with the exception of people like Kankuro, Temari, Haruka, Raya; their whole gang, to put it simple). The buildings, though different and made to fit with the village's culture and traditions, had much the same purpose.

So Kakashi didn't know why he felt so odd visiting the memorial.

It was a feeling he couldn't explain. A kind of tickle in his heart that wasn't _too_ unpleasant, but certainly _not_ pleasant either. It was more of a pang, really. A week away from Konoha and already he felt weird. Coming to Suna was a change; change was unwelcome. Sure, he knew he was settling in quite well, but for how _long_? How long would it be until the wall he had built between mind and heart came crashing down? Yeah, there were cracks in that wall that _sometimes_ slipped through and screwed with his conscience, but for the most part he was pretty good at separating emotions and logic.

Logic. It was funny how such a word could bring up Haruka's image. It wasn't that she was stupid. She babbled when she was anxious, he had come to see, and logic seemed to flee her at those times. It was an endearing trait that she showed him often. It was also a curious thought, because what had she to be nervous about around him? Never the less, it was...

_Adorable. There is no other word for it._ Kakashi hated his thoughts.

She was not as unpleasant as people made her out to be. Yes, moody, but not always negatively moody. Her apology was endearing, touching, almost, if you looked past all the foul language and scrutinized the underlying message.

Even so, hearing her apology had made him painfully aware that she was _not_ the scrawny twerp of the past who could hardly see through her astonishingly curtain-like hair, but a woman of the present who really needed trim her curtain-like bangs so people could see her emotive eyes more. And despite how he felt it was wrong to pursue any sort of – he hated to think it – _relationship_, there was something about her that compelled him to seek her out and just watch her.

_And be victim to ruthless fantasies too, right?_

Again, Kakashi really hated his thoughts. It was like they had a mind of their own.

Still, though, he was beginning to unravel the mystery of her character. Or so he thought. Sighing, he let it go, pushing forward with the task he had originally sought to accomplish.

Kicking up dirt, – he wouldn't lie, he definitely missed the vibrant green of Konoha – he strode up one of the many paths paved on the cliffs that encircled the village, he marveled that visiting Suna's memorial couldn't be _that_ weird. He figured old habits died hard; the tickle in his heart would drive him _mad_ if he didn't do something about it.

Maybe Obito would forgive him for the visits he'd missed.

The thought, though not entirely selfish, left him feeling rather empty and foolish. Here he was, an old man seeking the forgiveness of a dead boy. As he walked, he sighed, hands jammed into his pockets. The years of visiting the memorial stone, staring at the name that stirred up the best and worst of memories, had given him a second conscience of sorts. It was a monologue running through his mind that made itself heard only in the most dire of situations.

It sounded frightfully like Obito.

There was an uneasy quiet. As he moved steadily up the path, the sounds that bustled in the village faded away until it was no more than a murmur in the distance. Even the wind had dwindled some, merely a whisper that moved about hauntingly, as if warning him that the path he walked was filled with despair and grief.

_Nothing new to me_, he thought wryly. Glancing at his feet, he discovered that not many people had tread here, and as the path began to narrow, he saw why.

It was either Suna's K.I.A. were without loved ones, or that the journey to the memorial was so long that people gave up. He would've liked to have thought it was neither, but it was likely the reasons were both. By the time the path had smoothed into level ground, he found himself halted to a stop and shaking free the dust that had accumulated on his mask. Once done, he looked up and found a long line of alcoves that stretched very far along the the face of the cliffs. Stifling a cough, he stepped into one of the many niches.

Names. The sandy rock of the mountain had been replaced with a marble that gleamed eerily. Even so, there was a thin layer of dust blanketing the names. Without a thought, Kakashi wiped some of it away, dark eye perusing the surface. On either side of the alcove were brass torches, lit, casting their fiery glow on the columns of bright names. It was staggering how many names there were, carved so plainly into the long slab of marble.

It was relaxing to stand there, paying his respects to so many other very dead shinobi, some of which he was semi-sure he had killed. And while the thought was very disturbing, he refused to think about it.

He moved all along the alcoves, reading each and every name, the hours fleeing him as he went.

_Yoshitomi Kenji. Yuasa Chika. Yuhara Ryoko. Yukimura Haruka._

The last one caused him to pause. For a moment, he just stared at the name, unblinking, unsure as to why the name stunned him. Haruka was a very common name...

Perhaps it was the idea that someone like Haruka, so loud, obnoxious, wild and free, could die on a mission and have her name etched into this stone of complete and utter grief was staggering. It was a harsh blow that brought him crashing down to reality. Seeing her, a well-skilled medic who goofed off just a tad _too_ much, lying cold and dead with her memory carved away was mind-blowing...

"Wow," he muttered to himself, slipping a hand under his _hitaite_ to rub his eye. It tingled unpleasantly, mirroring the nausea he felt.

Without another thought about it, he pushed it away and turned around, making his way back down the path. All of a sudden, his shoulders felt very heavy, as if the world had stripped away its problems and thrown them upon him. It was a very bleak concept that left him feeling more drained than ever.

It seemed anything related to her made him feel that way. He supposed it was his own grievous outlook on life hindering his thoughts.

Sighing aloud, he glanced up at the scorching sun, only mildly aware that despite the summer heat, he felt very cold. It was happening more and more these days, he found, but he hadn't made any conscious note of it. Shielding his eyes from the sun's glare, he realized he was four and a half hours late in meeting the others for lunch.

_Whoops_, he thought rather uselessly. It was pointless to check if they had waited; Naruto had probably finished eating within the first five minutes and urged everyone else to finish quickly so as to get to some other business he really wanted to attend to.

No matter. He hadn't wanted to eat with them anyway.

With nothing else to do, he decided to head for the training grounds. He remembered, from a brief and confusing conversation with Haruka and Temari, that the grounds were located behind an abandoned building of sorts, on a main street near that bordered the slums of the village. Sure, he was too lazy to recall what street it was, but he'd figure it out. He wasn't _stupid_.

The path downhill was much shorter than before. He suspected it was his lack of bleak and intense thoughts burdening his poor mind. It had to be that. Maybe it was because he was forcing everything away, keeping it at arms-length so as not to overwhelm and drown him. He knew if he let it get to him, if he let it flow out all at once, he'd lose it, and losing it was not an option. Yeah, it was becoming more appealing to him day after day, but would he let it get to him? Certainly not.

The din of the village was approaching. Already he could hear the peddlers clamoring for attention, fighting to sell their goods, and the harsh-faced villagers haggling for lower prices. He could see the more grubby-faced kids in this part of the village, sneaking away a few apple fritters from some of the pricier vendors. Seeing the loud and uneasy life of the common villager was helping him better understand Suna's plight, and it was very dreary to come to terms with such understanding. It wasn't much different than the more esteemed parts of the village, except for the status of villagers. The poverty was wide-spread.

Walking casually through the crowd, he really began to wish he didn't stick out so much. Already he could feel the eyes of the elderly following him as he strode about lazily. It wasn't their accusing gazes or hateful glares, but what he _knew_ they were thinking. Konoha's White Fang had never been welcome, and neither was his offspring.

Never the less, he ignored it. He was quite good at ignoring things. He wandered around the streets, caught four kids in the act of stealing his wallet, (there was nothing in it anyway – like he was stupid enough to keep money on him! The thought was laughable) and stopped to ask a pretty lady selling fabric where he could find the training grounds. She pointed him in the right direction and eventually, he found himself on a less populated street that opened out to a weathered playground.

That was when he felt her presence. It was like a warm fizzle to his mind, an approach that scorched a fiery path. He wanted to leave, to flee with all the swiftness she had described to him with awe and sarcasm, but he wanted to stay, to see her smile at least once.

Perhaps the wall between heart and mind had more cracks than he was aware.

Making up his mind, he continued up the street, making haste, when something suddenly crashed into his leg. There was a faint gasp and a thump, a small cloud of dust stirring at his feet.

"Ow!"

Looking down, Kakashi found himself staring at a _very_ tiny person. Was it a child? Her features were so feminine and refined for a girl her age, but staring down into her face, he felt a tug of familiarity at the sight of the five year old. Smiling, he held a hand out to the little girl, who looked surprised and shaken.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently. The wide-eyed little girl nodded once, staring at him. Her auburn hair curled prettily around her heart-shaped face. She was the image of innocence.

"I'm sorry Stranger-san!"

Kakashi chuckled to himself. Stranger-san. It was very odd to be called that. "It's fine," he replied. The little girl swayed on the balls of her feet, looking around curiously. He realized he should probably find her parents... Hiding a frown, he knelt and smiled at the little girl.

"Did you lose your parents?"

The little girl smiled and giggled shyly. "I didn't lose _my_ mommy and daddy. They're at home! I was just happy, so I ran here!" She puffed her chest out proudly.

Kakashi decided not to tell her that she was probably lost. Her confidence in her running seemed unshakable. Scratching the back of his head, he looked around for anyone who could possibly be a parent.

"Sayuri! Don't run off like that!"

_Ah_, he thought, comprehension dawning on him as footsteps came running from around the corner. Skidding to a halt, Haruka knelt and inhaled deep breaths. Her thick hair was out of her face, pushed back by an thin headband. Another girl, taller and lankier than the other, stood beside her, glaring at what Kakashi assumed was her sister. Glancing at the proud little girl beside him, he realized he had likened the girl's curly hair with Haruka's.

"Sayuri, why do you always scare Ha-chan like that!?" The older girl had her hands on her hips and was shaking her head indignantly. Haruka chuckled and looked up with a grin. The smile froze on her face when she saw Kakashi. Recovering quickly, she bowed her head slightly.

"Hello Hatake-san," she said politely. Kakashi nodded his head in return, pulling himself to his feet. Haruka looked away, almost reluctantly, at the older girl, her gaze becoming stern. "Suzume, don't berate her. I'm sure she's scared enough as it is."

Suzume paused, confusion writ upon her face. "What does _bur-rate_ mean?" she asked slowly, tilting her face towards Haruka.

She laughed and pecked her on the cheek. "It means scold. So don't yell at Sayuri or I won't get you any ice cream."

"Oh... Sorry Sayuri..."

Haruka looked towards Kakashi momentarily and knelt before Sayuri, pushing the girl's hair behind her ear. "I hope she didn't trouble you or anything like that," she said gently, glancing up at him with curious eyes. "She gets excited and runs off sometimes. Which you need to _stop_ doing, or else your dad and _obaachan_ won't let you play with me!" she added quickly, flicking Sayuri's nose. The little girl giggled and threw her arms around Haruka, squealing an apology.

Kakashi felt curious, watching Haruka with the two girls, remembering, only vaguely, that Haruka had mentioned her nieces once before. It was like seeing a completely different person. What happened to the swear-happy, blushing woman he had met?

Watching her closely, he shook his head slightly. "No trouble at all... She just ran into me."

Haruka nodded her head slowly, straightening up, Sayuri sitting in her arms. She began to twirl Haruka's hair with her fingers. "I see." She glanced at Sayuri. "Don't you have something to say to Hatake-san?"

"Kakashi. Just Kakashi. Didn't I tell you that before?"

She was blushing, avoiding his gaze earnestly. "I'm sorry. It just.. comes out like Hatake-san." She looked at Sayuri once more, expectantly. The small girl blinked innocently at her for a few moments, then turned her wide-eyed face towards Kakashi.

That wall between heart and mind cracked just a little more.

"I'm sorry, Stranger-san," she said sweetly, flashing him a dazzling smile. Kakashi smiled at her in reply, hiding a chuckle when Haruka put an exasperated hand over her eyes.

"Hatake-san, Sayuri, not Stranger-san," she whispered in her ear. Sayuri giggled.

"Sorry Ha-chan!"

The young woman chuckled and shifted her weight, hefting Sayuri higher up. Suzume stood at her side, swaying side to side, grasping the hem of her pink shirt. She was watching Kakashi with curious eyes. He winked at her and she hid a giggle behind her hand.

Haruka looked at him again, flashing a brief smile. "Well, we'll get out of your hair. See ya later Hat – Kakashi." She turned, beckoning Suzume to follow.

It was... endearing, hearing her say his name so warmly. Endearing and extremely confusing.

Suzume hadn't moved. "Ha-chan, can Hatake-san come have ice cream with us?" She stood, rooted the spot, scratching her nose thoughtfully as she stared up at Kakashi with dotty eyes.

He blinked, coming to attention. Despite how much he would've liked to lingered in Haruka's presence, a part of him just wanted to run away. "Um..."

Haruka craned her neck around, her brow furrowing as she glanced at the pair, her gaze jumping to and fro from man to child. Her low voice came out in a quick, breathy sound. "Wha – No, no Suzume, we don't want to bother him – I'm sorry, Kakashi, you don't have to -- "

Sayuri clapped excitedly, beaming brightly as she pinched her aunt's cheek with a giggle. "I like Stranger-san! Can he please come with us? I can share my ice cream with him if you don't have enough money again!" She waved at Kakashi, her face adorably sweet. Tentatively, he waved back.

Haruka's face burned a much darker shade of red. Kakashi chuckled to himself, amused by Sayuri's little comments. "Not enough money?"

She scowled at him, her lips falling into that adorable pout. Unconsciously, his gaze lingered on her mouth as she spoke.

"Shut up," she near growled. Sayuri's large eyes grew even wider and her mouth fell open.

"_Ooh!_ Ha-chan, you said the _s _word!" she gasped, her voice just above a whisper. Haruka blinked at her rapidly, stunned into silence, unsure what to say. Kakashi suspected her brain had gone into overload. She looked highly surprised, her dark eyes just as wide as her niece's. Suzume sighed beside her nonplussed aunt, tapping her toe impatiently.

Kakashi decided to sweep in for the rescue. "Sayuri-chan, I'd love to share some ice cream with you!"

The young girl's attention instantly swayed and she turned her ecstatic eyes towards him, clapping her hands. "Yay! I hope you like chocolate!" She giggled and tugged Haruka's arm in a silent request to be put down. Without speaking, Haruka set the girl down, straightening up with grim eyes and a hesitant face.

_But vanilla is so much better_, he thought, more than a little rebelliously.

Little Sayuri and little Suzume came on either side of him and pulled him down the street, chattering excitedly. Haruka trailed behind him, sighing aloud.

He could practically feel her gaze burning a hole between his shoulders. Her anxiety was hard to miss, even when she was behind him. This was a much different person from the one who had earnestly offered him chocolates the night before. And she hadn't been lying about the chocolate either.

As they came up upon a modern building that advertised ice cream, Sayuri and Suzume darted ahead and rushed into the shop. Haruka came up beside him, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," she muttered without looking at him. Kakashi turned his gaze on her, noting her slow movements and half-hearted steps.

_Am I really that horrible?_ He liked to think not, and he liked to think she didn't think that either. Judging from the faintest of smiles on her lips, he decided his suspicions were correct. Despite her reluctance, her uncertainty, almost, he could see something like comfort, an ease he had not seen in her when he had first met her. His eyes followed a lilting breeze as it whispered through her hair, rippling down her back...

Quite abruptly, he looked back up, focusing instead on her face and those eleven darned freckles and alluring eyes.

"I know," he said lightly, disguising any discomfort he felt. She grunted irritably beside him, but that smile on her lips grew just a tad. "But you looked as if your brain had just exploded, which I trust is not a very pleasant sight. Can you just imagine that all over the place?"

She looked at him oddly, curiously, her face tilted up towards him, those dark eyes both guarded and bright, and watching her in a _very_ inconspicuous manner (_Yeah, right, and pigs can fly_, his mind scoffed in that Obito-like voice), he knew there was more than just a tickling interest in this girl, but an insatiable curiosity that had been born in the mystery of her hatred.

Of course, that mystery had been solved. And yet, his interest remained piqued. He supposed it was how guarded she could really be, or how even though she seemed like she didn't let the little things get to her, they really did and sometimes she let her feelings slip through the cracks...

Kind of like his own splintered wall.

"You are very weird. Did you know that?" She snorted lightly, blushed, and shook her head. Shifting her weight, uncomfortable with his amused stare, she finally huffed and pulled open the door to the ice cream shop. But it refused to open.

"Push, Haruka-chan, not pull," he pointed out cheerfully.

"Shut up," she snapped, and she threw him a venomous glance over her shoulder, her face a rather fetching shade of red by the time she pushed open the door. Stifling a chuckle, Kakashi followed her inside, entertained by her irritable mumbling.

"Stupid ass, has to be right about everything..."

Shaking his head, he stood back as Haruka stepped forward to take charge of her two spirited youngsters, who were crowded at the freezer, pointing out their favorite flavors to one another. Suzume wanted two scoops, Sayuri would say, but Suzume never finished her second scoop, so it wouldn't be fair if she got two, right? Suzume would then point out that Sayuri never even finished her first scoop, so why should she even get one? Haruka handled them sternly, pointing out that if they continued to bicker like this, neither of them would get _any_ ice cream and only she and Kakashi would have some.

Standing there as she handled her charges, Kakashi knew that he could've ran away quite easily. He could've avoided any confrontation with Miss Haruka if he had really wanted to. He didn't have to hang around to please some tiny five year old, who would probably turn out to be a midget like her aunt. Not that he discriminated against midgets, he was just saying... Haruka was pretty short, but the novelty of her smallness had worn thin by now, hadn't it? Well, all this detracted from his original thought which was... It was something scary, he knew that much...

_What was it again? _

Avoidance. _Ah yes_. The scary thought about it was that he _did_ really want to be around the girl. When her moods weren't fluctuating, she was quite infectious.

"What flavor would you like, Kakashi-san?" Haruka's voice drifted back to him.

Kakashi looked up, slightly dazed. "Hmm? None, thanks..."

Sayuri and Suzume moved further along the line of freezers, their faces pressed against the glass as they cheerfully pointed out which flavors they found gross and which they found half-way decent. Glancing back at them briefly, to make sure they were fine, Haruka moved towards Kakashi with raised brows.

"No ice cream? But it's only the best thing _ever_," she mock-gasped, eyes widening for effect. Kakashi blinked, staring at her a second too long. She didn't notice, or if she did, she hid it well.

He made a face and pointed to his mask with a muffled sigh. "I don't want to make a mess..."

Haruka let out a laugh. "Wow, that's... really lame," she said with a snort.

Kakashi was growing fond of that snort. It was predictable, in the sense that she snorted so much that you knew it was coming, and yet, unpredictable, because sometimes it was a dainty half-snort, or full on throat snort that left you rubbing your throat uncomfortably just hearing it.

"You don't like sweets much, do you?" she asked with a small smile she struggled to contain. "I mean, you denied only the most wondrous chocolate, and you won't even get _ice cream_? There must be something wrong with you."

"But I _did_ take the chocolate. I couldn't resist the promise of privacy..."

" Ha-chan! Can I _please_ get two scoops?" Suzume pleaded, her childish voice drifting towards them.

Giggling to herself, Haruka returned to the freezers, helping the girls decide which flavors to get. Their decisions changed constantly, moving like a wild wind. Had he been the average man of complete and utter normalcy, he might've been dizzied by their many decisions, but he was Kakashi, and as egotistical as it sounded, something as petty as chirping girls wasn't really overwhelming. It was, however, borderline exasperating. A surprising side of Haruka became evident to him as she paid and swept them outside, a much more caring and sweet side that countered that tough exterior. She didn't grumble or complain or scowl like he had expected.

The girls enjoyed their ice cream and Kakashi enjoyed a conversation well spent with Haruka. Intellect sparkled behind those eyes, and the full flow of her sarcastic wit was unleashed. He just nodded as she spoke, listening to the sound of her slightly hoarse voice as she babbled quite adorably about a medical jutsu she had found very difficult to learn (he couldn't say how the conversation had drifted from ice cream to medicine, but he didn't really care). She talked so much and so long that every now and then a lisp would slip between her words and she'd blush, saying she wasn't that great of a speaker. She would look up at him then, her eyes torn between something like uncertainty and joy.

Kakashi just returned her questioning gaze with a smiling one of his own, enjoying the way she blushed and looked away.

They roamed the streets, at random it seemed, but it was as they walked that Kakashi noticed an increase in the quality of the buildings. It was evident they were wandering into the wealthier neighborhoods and Sayuri and Suzume seemed well acquainted with their surroundings. Haruka halted in a small square with an impressive fountain that bubbled happily.

Out of nowhere, she pulled out a napkin and cleaned the pair's sticky faces. It was quite amazing how much ice cream had gotten on their faces.

"Time to return you munchkins to your father," she announced abruptly, tossing the napkin into a nearby trash bin.

Suzume made a face and crossed her arms imperiously over her chest. "Do we have to? Can't we stay with you tonight? I _never_ get to see you!"

Sayuri nodded her head somberly. "Me too! I like your house Ha-chan!"

Scratching her head, Haruka wrinkled her nose. "Um... As much as I love having you girls around... My house is not fit for two princesses such as yourselves. There's no room! And plus, remember our agreement? Whose taking care of your dad? Hm?"

Mystified, Kakashi stood back, watching the scene unfold, half-amused by the look of intense concentration on five year old Sayuri's tiny face. Beside her, Suzume had unfolded her arms and was sighing aloud, looking very much like a crestfallen girl who had just been told that there were no more chocolate chip cookies left, but _peanut butter_ cookies, and that she would have to make due with them. Her irritation was clear in her eyes.

Sayuri chewed her nails. Absently, Haruka tugged the hand from the child's mouth. The first to make up her mind, the smaller girl straightened and stood to attention.

"I will help take care of Tou-san!" she decided proudly, putting her hands over her chest. Haruka laughed and kissed her forehead, smiling when her niece returned the favor happily. Both girls turned to look at Suzume with pleading eyes.

The young girl looked between both, a faint blush spreading on her face. "Don't look at me like that! It's weird!" She giggled and smothered the sound quickly, attempting to maintain an irritated facade. "Fine. I'll go home and take care of Tou-san... But you have to promise to visit more, Haruka-chan!"

Pulling herself to her feet, Haruka nodded her head and placed a hand over her heart. "I solemnly swear to visit Suzume and Sayuri more," she said royally. Sayuri giggled.

Nodding her head, Suzume had the face of a child satisfied. "That sounds important enough to me," she responded, clearly not knowing what 'solemnly' meant.

Smiling, Haruka turned back to Kakashi. "Okay, girls, say good evening to Hatake-san."

"Bye Hatake-san – hey, Ha-san! You're just like Ha-chan!" Suzume chuckled at this revelation. Kakashi gave a brief wave.

Sayuri's eyes had widened. "But I don't want to say good bye to Stranger-san yet!" Her mouth had fallen open in utter indignation.

Haruka's eyes flashed and she looked at Kakashi rather worriedly. Kneeling again, she put an arm on Sayuri. "Um... He's welcome to walk home with us, _if_ he would like to. If he doesn't, you can say good bye and see him another day. How's that?"

Sayuri pondered it, then nodded her head. An exuberant face with small, quivering lips turned up to the man in question.

Kakashi liked to think many things about himself, and one of them was that he was a strong man who could not be swayed by puppy dog eyes or a pretty smile. His reaction to Haruka should've been a clear indication that he was no match for the adorable gene that seemed to run in the Hayashi bloodline. Looking down at Sayuri, he realized he didn't stand a chance against such pretty, shining eyes, begging for his presence...

"I'd love to walk you home, Sayuri-chan," he said with a smile. The little girl squealed excitedly and threw her arms around his calf. Kakashi fought the urge to shy away from her touch. Physical contact was something that remained slightly iffy in his book...

"Thank you Stranger-san!"

Shaking her head, Haruka had a hand over her eyes and was rubbing her temples wearily. "This way," she murmured to Kakashi, leading the way down a small street. Sayuri happily skipped beside him, babbling about her favorite animals, unaware of Suzume's disapproving shake of the head.

Haruka leaned towards him slightly. "I never imagined a little kid could best you like that," she muttered under her breath. Kakashi didn't need to see her face to know she was smirking.

"I wasn't bested by a kid -- "

Haruka cut him off with a chuckle. "Oh trust me, you were," she said knowingly.

Kakashi donned an affronted look. "You make it sound like a bad thing."

"Don't get me wrong, it's refreshing to see that even the great Copy Nin can be felled by the gaze of a cute little girl. It's..." She wrinkled her nose with a grin. "Sweet," she decided.

Kakashi glanced at her sharply, surprised by this sudden gesture of niceness. The girl was downright confusing. Did she hate him? Did she like him? Did she or didn't she say she wanted to keep things platonic? Was she _trying_ to drive him mad? The flurry of thoughts dizzied him. Haruka was like a hurricane, fraught with emotions, decisions, and unpredictability.

It was disconcerting.

Unsure of what to say to that, Kakashi was relieved when Sayuri diverted his attention from Haruka and her gusting winds of chaos. The little girl tugged his hand, smiling up at him.

"Are you a _kunoichi_, like Ha-chan?"

Suzume cut her off with an impatient sigh; Kakashi was grateful for her interference, because the young girl's question was both startling and funny. The urge to laugh filled him, but he quelled it easily.

"Sayuri, he's a_ man_. Men can't be _kunoichi_!" Suzume shook her head, all the part of an exasperated mother. Beside him, Haruka was stifling a batch of giggles, fighting even harder when he rolled his eyes at her.

Sayuri frowned. "Oh..." Her lips twisted to the side in confusion; Kakashi half-wondered what was running through her innocent little mind. She looked up at him, those large eyes disconcerting and reminding him uneasily about a certain woman when she was surprised or curious. "What are you then?" the little girl asked, her sweet voice filled with bewilderment.

He chuckled and stroked his chin, trying to figure out how to explain it simply to a little kid. Haruka's giggling became louder. "Well, a _kunoichi_ is a girl shinobi, right?"

Sayuri nodded her head, her eyes rapt with attention. She did not blink, except when she scratched her nose absently. Kakashi could not help but to liken the movement with Haruka's habit of scrunching up her nose and scratching it.

"Well, I'm just a shinobi. A _boy_ shinobi," he added, just to remind her that he was not a woman. He didn't think he had ever been called a _kunoichi_ in all thirty years of his life. The simple fact that someone had finally compared him to a _kunoichi_ was slighly demeaning...

"Oh... I see. That's cool! I want to be a shinobi too! I want to make people feel better, like Ha-chan!" Sayuri beamed, her wintry face bright. Haruka gave up on hiding her giggles and laughed aloud. It was a different sound than any Kakashi had ever heard, different even then the laughter he had heard in the woods a few nights ago or the laughs she emitted when with her friends and colleagues. It was a genuine sound, he felt, free of stress or the sorrow he believed she clung to. Sorrow for what, he didn't know, and it was curious to see someone her age so stricken and guarded...

Haruka darted forward and swept Sayuri into her arms. She began to tickle her mercilessly and the munchkin began to laugh hard. The tough Suzume giggled at her sister's laughter, covering it with a hand, and even Kakashi cracked a smile at the sweet and lilting sound, so pure as it rang out in the air.

She finally released Sayuri when they turned a corner that led down a strong and straight path. Suzume let out a wistful sigh as a tall and foreboding house loomed before them. Kakashi didn't spare it a second glance; it was dark and traditional, a typical home in Suna. Of course it held the grandeur of much nobler family. Sayuri ran up the path, whisking past a swinging iron gate to knock on the double doors.

"Tou-san! It's me, Sayuri!" she cried happily, the dulcet tones of her voice sweetening the air. Suzume came up behind her, taking on a much more somber appearance.

Kakashi looked around. Where was Haruka?

The smallest of sighs sounded behind him, a sound so familiar to him that he didn't need to turn around to know it was her. It was a sound that had escaped him often, that had escaped the people whose lives had been struck by a tragedy. It mystified him; was she so reluctant to return her nieces' home? Then, of course, he remembered the gossip he had heard; Haruka was not on good terms with her family.

He turned, at this realization, to observe her. The smile had fled her face, taking cover, and there was a grimness set in her eyes that made her look older than her years. She looked deflated, lost, defeated, and as quickly as she had appeared so, she suddenly stiffened and threw her shoulders back in a sudden bout of strength. She would not go down so swiftly.

"Gotta let it go," she murmured to herself. "Just move, Haruka..."

Admiring her strength, he watched as she brushed past him, as if unaware of his presence. Her gait was slow and careful as she moved towards the ominous doors. Each step was measured carefully, and she was whispering under her breath as if the slightest mistake could cost her her life.

Ten steps, eleven steps... At fifteen steps, she halted, for the doors had suddenly opened with an ominous moan.

"Ah, Sayuri-chan, Suzume-chan! Where have you been today?"

A petite woman stood in the threshold, clad in an elegant, cream kimono dusted with scarlet cranes. There was a familiarity to her pale face and auburn curls, but something very alien as well. This woman was regal in the highest sense, with an eloquent nose that spoke haughtily and a full mouth befit a goddess. The only signs of age were in the crows feet at her eyes and the harsh lines that tugged her mouth down. Though she smiled, she did not appear happy. There was distance in her eyes.

Sayuri jumped and hugged the woman lovingly. "Oba-chan! We were with Ha-chan!"

_Oba-chan_. So this was Haruka's mother. Kakashi scrutinized her in a new light now; neither looked similar, except for their hair, Haruka's being not so curly. Kakashi frowned, looking between the two stiff figures, attempting to see what could have torn their bond. Haruka's mother frowned, eyes raising to meet her daughter's even gaze.

_Why the hell do you care?_ said his mind rudely. _She's got nothing to do with you. When have you ever cared about anyone's problems?_

He had to agree with his mind.

"Mother," Haruka said icily, breaking the silence that had settled like a cool frost. Haruka's mother narrowed her eyes and pulled the two girls inside. "Go greet your father," she ordered tersely, never once removing her gaze from her daughter's.

The two girls obliged quickly, as if sensing the unease that had filled the atmosphere. The hairs on the back of his neck bristled, his body aware that a fight was about to ensue. Uncomfortable, he wrestled with the thought of leaving, but morbid curiosity rooted him.

"Why were the girls with you today?" Her voice was brisk, sharp, like the smooth edges of a shard of glass. He could feel it cutting the air forcefully. Hesitantly, he stepped back, then stopped, not wanting to draw attention to his presence.

Kakashi couldn't see her face, but he knew she was scowling. "Daisuke said I could take them out for ice cream. Don't tell me you find _that_ to be troublesome as well." Haruka's voice was low, the gravelly tones of her voice emphasized by her rough manner.

Her mother's eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't take that tone with me -- "

Haruka let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "Are you going to ground me? Is it gonna be like the good old days when you locked me -- "

Her mother's eyes darted towards Kakashi, suddenly aware of the presence of stranger. Terror gleamed in her eyes for the most brief of moments until a shallow loathing filled their depths. Her nostrils flared, the effect of hateful recognition.

"I will not have you stealing away my granddaughters so they can spend time with _him_! Your reputation is despicable because _you_ refuse to salvage what you can of your honor, but besmirching _their_ names by spending time with someone as foul as him – I will not have it!" she screeched, gesturing towards Kakashi.

He frowned, disliking the implications hidden in her voice. _Obviously_, he had been recognized again."You know -- "

Haruka threw a hand behind her to silence him. The movement was so sharp and fierce that he wondered if she had pulled a muscle or snapped a bone, but never the less, he fell quiet, watching with a wary, tired gaze.

This was too weird. The urge to flee was overwhelming, but he thought it would be traitorous of him to leave so cowardly now.

"Don't you _dare_ talk about Kakashi. It's just like you to judge him! Been listening to the gossip lately, _mother_?" Her tone was biting, caustic. The harshness was so rough and violent, a far cry from the usual display of anger he had seen from this unpredictable one. The Cute One, it seemed, had a very dangerous bite.

Her mother's face was cold. "Oh yes, and all I've been hearing is how my _daughter_ has been sleeping around with married men! Have you no shame?"

_Um..._ Kakashi shifted his weight uncomfortably.

Haruka stiffened, offended. "And you believed them? You believed it when your snarling, backstabbing _friends_ told you I was sleeping around? I know you! You took it to be the truth right away, without a thought, didn't you!?"

Her voice cracked on the last note, despair filling her words. It was the most heartfelt he had ever seen her, even more so than her apology last night, for there was no careful measurement and deep thought. It was a sudden release of emotions that had been pent up, and they were flowing freely now. He felt guilty being witness to such a moment; icy dread slowly filled him and he could not help but feel that she would somehow hold his presence against him.

There was a slight tremble in her shoulders. A feeling engulfed him, an urge to embrace her, but suddenly a fear entered him, a fear of that urge to comfort.

Her mother's eyes flickered towards him. He gave a sarcastic little wave; he didn't really like her, to be honest. It might've been the hurt she was obviously causing Haruka to feel, and the idea that someone so close to her, someone who had taken care of her, could be so cold and insensitive -- it really rubbed him the wrong way. He remained silent, knowing that this was Haruka's fight and not his. He would wager that none of her family had been aware of her overnight stay at the hospital the night before.

This realization was more infuriating than the last.

The woman scowled down at Haruka, the fading light of the burning disc of orange sun casting her face in a vivid wash of color, enhancing the few lines upon her face. There was disgust and disappointment in her eyes.

"You impertinent girl. Go live your life as you wish, but keep _us_ out of it. I have nothing more to say to you!"

With an air of finality, she swept away, whisking herself indoors. The door slammed roughly.

Kakashi watched Haruka's silent form, so still and stony. Slowly, very slowly, her tense and proud shoulders fell into a slump – a familiar slump he saw often on those of the spiritually defeated. Hell, he saw it in himself. Not a sound escaped her, not a gasp or shallow intake of breath. She was all the sight of a solemn statue, frozen in time and space.

After a long moment, he took a step forward. "Haruka -- " he began hesitantly, unsure of a backlash of fury on her part.

She suddenly whirled around, brushing past him. "Don't say a word," she snapped brusquely, striding roughly down the path. She paused at the end, her body quivered gently. He didn't think she was aware of how timid she really looked.

"Don't," she repeated, this time a desperate plea softening her voice.

Kakashi nodded his head, complying with ease. He hadn't known what to say anyway.

* * *

Haruka's heart was heavy.

Each step she took sent shivers shooting through it, icy shivers that would ensnare her trembling heart. Their cold fingers would grab it and squeeze painfully each and every time her foot connected with the hard dirt.

She had long since grown accustomed to such a feeling.

Feeling empty, Haruka could not find it in herself to hate her mother. She could not find the embarrassment she knew she ought to feel for the fact that Kakashi had witnessed what could be called a 'usual' spat with her mother. She could not find words to address him properly, to tell him, "Hey, sorry you had to see that, trust me, it's not usually like that." But she couldn't, because why lie? Kakashi would see through each and every word, just like he saw through her smiles and laughter.

Refusing to brood over her mother, Haruka sought to empty her mind, but it didn't work. Instead, all she could think about was how weak she felt. She hated her weakness, her soft heart. It didn't seem to matter that she had earned herself an image as a tough, independent woman with a questionable reputation. Tough. Strong. Hard. They were words that the public would associate with her, of all people.

Haruka had never felt further from being strong.

Footsteps shattered her from her thoughts. Hurried footsteps. They weren't Kakashi's, and they were too small to be her nieces...

Haruka promptly turned around, hiding a sigh when she recognized the face. "Onii-chan?"

Dark-eyed Daisuke cast a single curious glance at the silver-haired man whose company she kept before looking towards his younger sister. Something flashed in his eyes, an apprehensive, concerned something. She frowned slightly.

"Haruka... I need to talk to you..."

She narrowed her eyes at him. Respect was slow to come. After all, she realized numbly, it seemed each and every fight occurred at his urging to speak with their mother. She found it hard to forgive him – _he_ was never accused of murdering their father.

"Then talk," she said rather snappishly. Surprise flitted across his face; Haruka rarely spoke so brusquely with him.

"What about..." He glanced towards Kakashi, who rolled his eyes.

Haruka let a small smile wash over her, trying to ease her brother's confusion. "Please, just say it. I just want to go home..."

Daisuke sighed. "Okay... Look. Mom doesn't want you coming around the house anymore. She doesn't want to see you."

Haruka shrugged, making a face. "That's fine, I don't want to see her either. If she won't come to terms with my 'behavior', I'm not gonna come to terms with her behavior," she said confidently, keeping the pain out of her voice. As if she needed Kakashi to see her break down into tears, of all things. "Next time I see the girls, we can meet at an ice cream shop or something. It'll save both of us the time of witnessing one of her gruesome tantrums."

"No, Haruka -- "

She went on, ignoring him, so determined was she to avoid talking too long of her mother. "Course, if you'd rather I not buy them ice cream so much anymore, we could meet at a playgr -- "

"Haruka! It's the girls. She doesn't want you seeing the girls anymore!"

She froze; what a preposterous notion! A grin twitched at her mouth, growing bigger and bigger until she finally let out a loud laugh. Not see the girls? Hah!

"They're _your_ kids – at least, Suzume... She can't decide I can't spend time with YOUR kids!" She chuckled, but her heart wasn't in it. Rubbing her nose, she looked up at her older brother and was surprised to see shame writ so clear across his face. Unaware of the action, she bit her lower lip, mirroring his sudden anxiousness.

"What? What is it?" she asked, her words hesitant. "What aren't you telling me?" Her voice rose on the final note, and her eyes pleaded for an answer as they appealed to Daisuke's nervous gaze. Her brother was not a hurtful person, but like Miyako, he had never been able to stand up to his mother. Only Haruka had turned out the rebel, a fact that had often alienated her from her older siblings as a child.

Daisuke looked away and he scratched his neck uncomfortably. Haruka's gaze hardened. "Daisuke..." she began warningly. He sighed in defeat.

"_I_ don't want you to spend too much time with the girls as well..."

The icy fingers took hold of her heart and squeezed with all their might mid-beat. Her chest felt heavy and her shoulders sank from the effort of holding herself upright. Absently, she put a hand over her heart, pressing hard to gain some relief.

_What?_

"I'm sorry," he whispered. Haruka hadn't realized she had voiced her thought aloud. Daisuke pinched the bridge of his nose, just as he had done as a child when he was anxious. "It's not that I'm siding with mom... You're already influencing the girls so much as it is, and your reputation isn't very... clean. I'm just saving Suzume and Sayuri some heartbreak. In the long run, it'll be better for both you and the girls – they won't be disappointed by what they hear in the future and you're free to focus on your work without worrying about making them happy. You always complained about anything tying you down... I'm just saving you the time of cutting them off yourself later on."

Haruka stared at him with blind eyes. "How can you say that?" she rasped. Her fingers dug into her chest as she fought to relieve the pressure that squeezed her heart. She gazed past him and caught Kakashi's interminable stare instead. There was an emotion in that stare, an emotion she could not identify...

Daisuke stepped forward, putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him reluctantly, eyes brimming with tears. "I know you, Haruka. You don't stick with one thing too long. Eventually, you'll get sick of having to spend time with the girls... You're just not cut out for that kind of life..."

His words echoed in her mind, over and over, making her more sick and more anxious by the second. She finally cracked.

"All these y-years, Daisuke. All these years and you still don't know me. You're just like _her_! I thought you could see reason, but I see now that it's beyond you. You c-can't take those girls away from me! You can't know how I feel with them!"

She was sobbing, and she knew it, and that feeling of weakness within her grew bigger. Her limbs felt heavy, her muscles like jello, and somehow, she found that there were still tears left. _Even after all those years_, she thought dully.

Daisuke swam in her vision. His face looked torn, as it always looked. He never knew what to think. He was just another pawn in her mother's game. Haruka was sick of it.

"You can't keep me from them," she said quietly. Each word was difficult to say, a hurdle she forced herself to jump.

Her brother shook his head. "Good evening, Haruka," he said, and he turned and walked away. Haruka watched dimly as he paused before Kakashi, who stood in his way. The two men were silent and tense; Daisuke shook his head, finally, and brushed past the taller man.

Looking back, Haruka found that it was probably the most confident she had ever seen her older brother.

It was just her and Kakashi now. Unable to look him in the eye, she let her gaze fall. Regret filled her, regret for her weakness. She hated the tears that burned in her eyes, and she fought their descent with all the pride and dignity she could muster. A few escaped; she sniffed audibly.

Finally, she sighed. "I'm sorry. I generally don't like to introduce the family on first dates," she joked, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her true feelings. She chanced a look at Kakashi; he looked thoughtful and resilient, something gleaming in that eye of his. She frowned, unsure, until his brow furrowed slightly.

Reeling with shock, Haruka realized what it was. Pity. He felt _sorry_ for her.

Haruka frowned, eyes hardening despite the teetering tears. She didn't want his pity!

Not speaking, Haruka turned around and began to walk briskly away. Maybe she could salvage what she could of her dignity by ignoring the matter and saving it for another day. Because, for now, she wasn't sure she could handle facing him and his sympathy. He didn't know her or her family or her past. She certainly didn't need sympathy from him, a man who had already witnessed just how weak she really was.

Her fists clenched; he was following her at brisk pace, not two steps behind her. The slight rumble of his breath both irked her and did wondrous things to her feeble heart. She gritted her teeth.

_Stupid man. Go away_.

"Haruka -- " he began, but she cut him off. She knew that smooth voice would slip under her skin if she heard it. She wasn't capable of handling wild anger and unbridled passion; she wasn't sure she ever _was_. She'd probably never be able to.

"Don't, Kakashi. I know that look in your eye. Please don't feed me a cheesy line about how it's all gonna be okay, because I already _know_. This isn't knew to me, Kakashi-san. I can and _have_ coped with disappointment, so don't give me your pity!" What began as a simple statement escalated into a full-on retort. Her body burned, her skin tingling, aware of his nearness. Caught with the sensation of hatred and lust, she swayed uncertainly, her eyes flashing.

His eye, so dark she could not see the mesmerizing blue, narrowed with what she figured was concern. She wasn't absolutely sure why, but she didn't like that. They hardly knew each other and he was _worried_ for her? She didn't need people to worry about her – it wasn't as if she threw herself in the midst of danger, trying to get herself killed...

He seemed to realize her rising fury and rather than retreating, he stepped forward. "I wasn't -- "

"Don't! You don't know the first thing about me! If your mother hates you as much mine hates me, then you can come looking for me, but until then, butt out!"

It was hard to breathe; gasping for air, she wheeled around and darted down the path, a hand pressed to over her mouth in a futile effort to control her breathing. The first seeds of guilt sprouted within her heart, but she stubbornly withheld from watering them. Pride kept her from returning and apologizing for her irrationality.

Turning round the corner, she hastily made her way out of the lush neighborhood. So fancy, so rich, it felt more like a prison to her than ever. She shuddered, unable to stomach the idea of a life trapped here, with mothers whose control extended well over the lives of merely her children.

Haruka was glad when she heard no hurried steps behind her. Minutes ticked by slowly and she finally halted on a familiar street. Pausing, she stared at the vast ring where she and Kurou had sparred as children; her, a measly thirteen year old who couldn't keep her tongue, and him, a slimy fourteen year old who couldn't keep his temper.

Nostalgia filled her for the old days. Just for a taste of the past, of the time when Miyako had lived and Haruka had crept around deceitfully, learning the arts of the shinobi lifestyle... Oh, what she wouldn't give for those days.

Staring at the street, she was filled with the urge to capture it's image as it was now; so lonely and dreary, a sorrowful place that few ventured to. She promised herself to return with her paints and turned around, nearly colliding into a chest.

Sandalwood.

Feeling a severe sense of déjà vu, Haruka sighed and looked up at Kakashi. "Stop following me," she said stubbornly, with haughty eyes and an upturned nose. His gaze narrowed dangerously.

"I'll keep following you until I know you're not gonna terrorize some poor family that happens upon you. Are you okay?"

He was probably right. She _would_ terrorize some poor family. Ignoring his comment, she huffed angrily. "No, I'm horrible. That's what you want to hear, right? Because saying I'm fine doesn't seem to cut it around here anymore..." Sighing again, she pulled her headband off and ran her fingers through her hair. She didn't miss his gaze falling into a trance-like state as they followed the rippling course of her tresses.

It both excited and scared her.

Swallowing hard, she looked up at him once more. A mistake, she realized, for that smoldering eye was fixed on her. His lashes were long, and light, pale as his hair, like white butterflies that would drift away on a moment's notice. Staring into that eye and inhaling that wondrous scent, she struggled to keep a handle on her anger.

She didn't _want_ to like him as much as she did.

"I'm leaving now," she said quite redundantly as she turned away. "Goodbye."

She half-expected him to grab her wrist again; her pulse leaped at the mere thought of his touch. But he was resolute in his stillness. Only his eye moved to watch her steady progression down the wide, desolate street.

His gaze unnerved her. She almost wanted to whirl around and yell at him, but that meant looking at him (what good was yelling if she didn't direct a spiteful glare upon him?) and looking at him was officially against the rules for her. If memory served her correctly (which it did), _she_ had been the one to propose a platonic friendship, not him. He had just about laughed at her for the idea.

"Haruka, I'm sure your mother doesn't hate you." His voice was soft and smooth, like serene water.

He was beside her. When had he moved? Haruka refused to look at him, obstinately glaring straight ahead. Few people were about, paying no mind to the silver-haired man and the dark-haired woman.

"I've lived with her my whole life. She's lost one daughter already. I was always the back-up daughter if her first went wrong. So don't tell me she doesn't hate me when you don't know what the hell you're talking about."

Her voice had been quiet, filled with a deadly hiss, a harsh undertone that startled him, she could see. He was struggling to make sense of her; he watched her with a bemused eye, plainly frowning.

"Don't you think you're overreact -- "

She refused to let him finish that sentence. Whirling to face him, she shoved him with all the rage she could muster. Surprised, he stumbled back, clouds of dust dancing at his sandaled feet, a wide eye staring down at her, confused. Haruka glared at him, her irrational fury all-consuming.

"Don't fucking act like you understand me! I don't need your charity, your goddamn pity, and I most _certainly_ don't need to hear your bullshit advice! My life is none of your concern!"

Fighting the tears that burned at her eyes, she formed the required hand seal and disappeared in a cloud of smoke that disguised her descent upon a rooftop a few streets away. Part of her desperately hoped he would pursue her, so she could apologize without searching for him; another part of her was decidedly stubborn and did not want to see that interminable gaze again.

Even so, the fact remained that she was a guilty, obstinate, bitchy person.

Half-sobbing uncontrollably, Haruka stumbled in her haste to return to her cold and lonely apartment, a place she had called home for the past couple years. Her thoughts fled from Kakashi, but the regret pulsed deep within, alongside the guilt that gnawed delicately on her insides. Instead, her mind became preoccupied with the family she had been born into.

It was all about expectations, of noble lineages and responsibilities and majestic traditions one had to uphold. She figured no family was without it, and it seemed her family had a surplus of it. She thought she had escaped her mother's imposing rule, but she realized now that that idea was laughable. She had never been free of it. No, she had only run away from it, prolonged the hurt that seemed to permanently reside within her.

Haruka wiped her eyes sloppily with the back of her hand, very much aware that she was quite the sight, and not in a positive way. Maybe, she thought numbly, when she was lying in the hospital semi-conscious, she had half-hoped her mother would come and visit her, that she would see the err of her ways and come sobbing to her wretched daughter who was just as guilty of being a rotten family member as well. Maybe she had wished to see a bright smile on her mum's face, a proud look that was entirely hers and not Miyako's or Daisuke's or Kohaku's. Maybe she was being selfish in her dream of hugging her mother just once more, like she had as a young girl, but maybe she was being overly optimistic as well.

"It doesn't matter," she muttered to herself, hiccuping in the midst of her words. "It never will."

She was too tired to even think of leaping for her window, so she swaggered through the door and crawled up the staircase with weary limbs, her growling stomach reminding her that she needed to eat. The halls felt so much longer and narrower, like dark tunnels she was doomed to traverse forever. Ignoring the suffocating feeling, she pushed open her unlocked door (after all, she was very lazy), only to find a young man knocking on it. He looked vaguely familiar, especially that look of terror and respect in his gleaming eyes.

She glared at him through hooded eyes. He stood a few inches taller than her five feet and clad in training gear.

Silence.

She sighed through her nose, finally. "What is it!?" she barked roughly, leaning against the wall for support. The young man, whom she recognized as the _chuunin_ who had informed her of her previous mission, eyed her warily.

"Mission. Gaara-sama would like you in his office in an hour for a briefing," he told her solemnly, only the slightest tremble in his voice. If he noticed her blotchy face or running nose, he hid it well. _A good thing too_, she thought with a sigh. _I'd rip his limbs off for mentioning anything._

Haruka nodded sagely, unaware of the boy's relief when she didn't explode. Preoccupied, thoughts of an impending mission filled her weighted mind, pushing out her fear, guilt, and anger. Instead, all she could think about was why Gaara would give her a mission so quickly after leaving the hospital. She'd have thought Akemi-shishou would halt him from giving her any such work... Never the less, she was pleased to be on the mission roster.

"Mm... 'kay, hand over the scroll then and scat." She held her hand out, fingers wiggling impatiently.

He placed the scroll in her expectant hand and allowed an easy smirk to grace the planes of his face only as he disappeared. Haruka choked on the smoke and leaves that were left in his wake.

"Cocky little kid," she muttered irritably, waving away the smoke and pushing through her creaky front door.

Her place was a mess, as was usual. Glancing around with a wrinkled nose, a pout slipped over her face as the discomfort of an unkempt home overwhelmed her. Scrolls and scrolls, some wrinkled and curled, some smoothed straight and held by paper weights, littered the place. Her book shelves were overflowing with books and pens were everywhere. She glanced towards the single, long window in her living area; a canvas still stood before it, clean and white, untouched since last week. Hanajima had asked her to paint the sunset last night.

As she gazed out the window at the sinking sun, she decided to put it off for another day. Hanajima would not think any less of her for procrastinating a painting...

Sighing, she kicked aside some of the mess as she sauntered into her kitchen, mission scroll still in hand. Her fingers itched to unroll it, to sink into it's contents. A mission was the perfect distraction from the chaos she was currently stuck in. Maybe it'd frighten her enough to knock some sense into her mind, to tell her that her life was _not_ as horrible as it seemed.

As soon as that thought had entered her mind, she dropped the scroll onto a counter as if it had scalded her fingers. She did not spare it a glance and moved towards her fridge, wrenching it open. Laziness overcame her and she pulled out a bottle of leftover spaghetti sauce, shaking it with a frown as she assessed its contents. Only after retrieving a bag of ready-to-cook cheese ravioli from the freezer and setting a pot of water on the stove did she pick up the mission scroll.

"Here goes nothing," she mumbled to herself. Shadowed eyes watched as slender fingers unfurled the paper. Her eyes scanned the contents swiftly, assessing each and every word with a thoughtful hum under her breath.

She dropped it on the counter with a mournful sigh, her face crestfallen.

"Of all the missions I could've gone on, I get saddled with the coldest, iciest one of all. Brilliant." Haruka bit back a moan and fell onto the counter, arms coming up to shield her face.

"I hate Snow."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry! I know, I took forever! It's... depressing. This chapter did not come out as great as I hoped. Sorry if it dragged on too long. My chapters are just getting longer and longer -- 22,783 words alone, not counting this AN here! It took me a long time to plan this, because I had originally wanted to include a training scene -- I actually wrote some of it, eleven pages exact, but I ended up cutting it out and saving it for another chapter, because if I had kept it, this chapter would've been about sixty plus pages (as it is, it's currently 49!) I hope to make up for all the talk-talk-talk/thoughts-thoughts-thoughts in this chapter with a lot of action in the upcoming chapters. Hehe... Well, tell me what you think!

Ha-san

(Hanajima is so left out in this chapter...)

* * *


	10. Nine: Walls

**Chapter Nine  
Walls**

Haruka ran.

She ran so hard and so fast that all sight was lost to her. Her heart hammered against her chest, the roar of blood pumping wildly throughout her body drowning out the pained slap of feet as they smacked against the slick branches. The world was a blur of motion around her; dizzying images of brilliant snow-peaked hills, transparent icicles clinging with a desperate air to the harsh trees. Each breath was a shuddering gasp that ripped from her icy lungs painfully. Frigid winds stung at her eyes, chilling the tears that collected instinctively.

Panting, she landed with a thump on the ground, white snow flying upon impact. She swayed, unsteady for half a moment before recovering herself in a stock-still pose, clutching her damaged arm close to her body. She listened with bated breath; would they come after her?

After a moment of desperate silence, Haruka shrugged her thick cloak more firmly over her trembling shoulders, using her hand to tighten the fur-lined hood about her face. She had long since abandoned her lustrous kimono for something far more fitting; it lay ripped to shreds in an unceremonious pile by a kunai Kakashi had so gallantly lent her.

A twig snapped. Refusing to stop and think that it may have been Kakashi, Haruka was up and flying, her right arm flapping uselessly at her side. She was careful, mindful of the blood that trailed from her elbow. The last thing she needed was to leave a trail for her angry pursuers.

It wasn't until she neared the edge of the forest did she wonder how things had gotten this bad. Not until she saw the vast lake that stretched for miles, frozen solid, did she pause and consider that maybe she should've thought out her tactical approach. A worry that had tingled nervously at the edges of her subconscious darted to the forefront of her mind. It flitted anxiously from thought to thought.

_Please let Kakashi be safe, _she prayed anxiously, though she was certain he could handle his own.

A distant roar alerted her to her surroundings and Haruka shook free from her thoughts. Still, a part of her heart was weighted with anxiousness. It never occurred to her that maybe she should be worrying about her own safety rather than his...

**

* * *

**

A few days earlier found Haruka furiously scrubbing the staggering stack of dishes in her kitchen, a most calm expression smoothing away the lines of concern. She couldn't box away the suffocating feeling that she was drowning in worries of both her own and others.

Haruka made an irritated noise and scratched an itch that erupted on her forehead. Soapy suds trailed between her eyebrows and she hastily wiped them away with the back of her hand.

Why was everything so damn complicated? Placing a clean plate on the rack to dry, she grabbed a pot and silently wished her dishwasher was working.

As it was, Haruka knew she was caught in a number of dilemmas, the first of which involved the infuriatingly baffling Hatake Kakashi. Haruka could not afford to fall in like with someone. It was, simply put, a bad time for a relationship/possible one-night stand, what with a nervous breakdown looming precariously in her future. Her hypocrisy was aggravating.

She also couldn't afford to overlook the fact that she was a spiteful little bitch who deserved to be put down for the way she treated perfectly innocent people. Kakashi had not done anything. He was the victim of circumstance, a witness to a disgusting family affair. Haruka hated herself for holding it against him, but pride and stubbornness kept her from seeking him out and apologizing. _Again!_ How many times was she going to apologize? Hayashi Haruka did not apologize to just anyone, and Kakashi was close to the bottom of her list of people she should probably apologize to.

And to make matters worse, she still want to bang the man. Dearly. She wanted to feel every inch of him, taste every part of him; she wanted to touch him, to stroke him, to make him feel that lightheaded, breathlessness she felt whenever he was around. Kami, she wanted him inside --

Haruka felt the blood rush to her face As a flurry of fantasies erupted in her mind, a warmth spread quite deliciously from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Coughing uncomfortably, she splashed a little water on her face to jolt herself from the daze and chastised herself.

"Shit, it doesn't even matter, does it?" she muttered to herself, bowing her head as she resumed the scrubbing. If there was any chance of any sort relationship (of the sexual sort, preferably, but it didn't matter since she was the aforementioned spiteful little bitch who would probably never get any again this lifetime), it would only rip apart Gaara's desperate attempt to get on better terms with Konoha. The villagers needed it, the country need it, Suna needed it... And Haruka would ruin it all if she crossed the boundary SHE had originally set between her and the stupid half-willing Kakashi.

Him and his stupid near-kiss...

Like that mattered either. All of her relationships were of the disastrous, destructive kind, and somehow, it was always her fault. She was married to her job, she was too explosive, she was too distant, she wasn't giving enough... Haruka didn't think she would remain alone for the rest of her days, but she knew relationships were beyond her and she would continued to shy away from commitment. Besides, sex was just too good too ignore.

_Bring on the horny commit-a-phobes, Haruka will gladly take your offers!_

Ugh, she was so revolting.

Haruka frowned, ignoring the fact that if she continued to frown, she would get the ugly wrinkles she had grown up hearing her mother complain about. Bah.

She was sure Kakashi would be no different than the rest of her failed relationships. Once she had destroyed the last shred of good will between Suna and Konoha, she would be shunned, thrown further into disgrace, and Gaara would probably demote her to _chuunin_ rank. Akemi would dismiss her from her service at the hospital and Haruka would be left to fend for herself on the streets, a homeless, miserable memory of what might've been a legacy. Matters would escalate and through a series of unfortunate events, Isamu would find out that she knew of his abuse towards Manami and Kurou and hunt her down in the middle of the night to brutally murder her and dump her malformed corpse deep into the desert.

Kakashi was such a troublemaker.

Haruka let out a long and mournful sigh. "Well, if it's for the good of the village..."

Thinking about Isamu brought on another headache. Worries, more worries. Haruka found it hard to believe that her squad leader, before her unwilling induction into the Suna/Konoha program, was beating his widowed sister-in-law. Asano Isamu, Asano Manami, Asano Takuma...

_Stupid Asano clan,_ she thought with half-hearted distaste. Haruka was reluctant to think ill of such a beloved clan of Suna. Hell, she remembered attending Manami's wedding two years ago; she remembered never seeing two people as in love as her and Takuma and thinking nothing could tear that apart. She remembered Isamu's pride and love for his younger brother. She also remembered his unfortunate death two months into Manami's last trimester.

What a year of deaths...

Inhaling deeply, Haruka recalled the grief that had spread throughout the shinobi of Suna. Takuma had been well-known and well-liked; he had been helpful and considerate, an all-around good guy that had made his mark on Sunagakure, just as his older brother had done. And Manami, she did not deserve the card dealt to her. Raising little Takara on her own couldn't be easy. Haruka hadn't been eager to help at first, but Manami's plight resounded well in her heart. It was just too similar to her own sister's situation just before her death.

And Asano Isamu... Haruka had worked closely with the man throughout her life as a _jounin_. When Akemi had been too busy in the hospital to teach her as a _genin_, he had brought her into Team Isamu to teach her. He was the one who had helped her perfect her accuracy with her senbon needles, shuriken, and kunai. He was the the poor victim who suffered through her baking when she had suddenly developed an interest in desserts. Hell, the man was like a doting uncle!

Haruka suddenly slumped against the counter, her body falling limp as she dropped the sponge in the sink. She could hardly hear the running water, filling the sink when the plate blocked the drain... Desperate doubt rang loud in her ears.

The front door slammed open, shaking the walls and Haruka's thoughts. Her neighbor banged the wall in protest, and Haruka returned the favor.

"I am so pissed!" a vibrant Raya shouted, striding briskly into the kitchen. Haruka glanced at her, blank-faced and unsurprised by the sudden visit.

Raya was indeed pissed. Her face was flushed – a new shade of red as she so often put it – and she was breathing heavily, her nose flared, her eyes a livid, poisonous green. Haruka pushed her lips out so she looked like a duck, for no reason other than to look silly, and turned back to her dish washing.

"What happened?" she asked in a somewhat blasé voice, but Haruka remained half-interested in what had triggered what could easily be described as a delicate temper that could escalate to explosive proportions. Haruka just had too much on her mind.

Which reminded her, she really wanted to redo the kitchen... The pale blue was becoming more than a little depressing. Her landlord probably wouldn't like that though. Asshole.

Grumbling audibly, Raya paced the kitchen, a space that was already cramped with Haruka's diminutive form by the sink as it was.

"Gaara-sama! He happened!" she shouted suddenly after a minute of nonsensical ramblings. "It gets me so mad! You know me, I'm an easygoing person, aren't I? But holy shit, he can be so goddamn patronizing sometimes!"

_Sometimes? Try all the time, _Haruka thought with a mental snicker, her gaze flying towards her infuriated friend.

Raya had halted in the middle of the kitchen and was heaving deep breaths that reminded Haruka of some sort of tribal chanting. For a moment she pictured a pack of Raya clones dressed in skimpy fur with vibrantly colored headdresses, the kind with lots of plumage, dancing wildly around a bonfire.

_Wow... If I continue spacing out like this, Raya will notice that I'm actually not paying complete attention and kick my ass._ Haruka frowned.

"What happened to your dishwasher?" Raya looked puzzled. Glancing at the purple-haired sixteen-year old over her shoulder, Haruka made a face.

"Broken," she replied, adding a pot the rack to dry.

Scratching her wrist idly, Raya loped towards a dry counter and pulled herself up. "Why don't you fix it?"

Haruka paused in her dish washing and turned around to face Raya, her gaze thoughtful. "Because I'm lazy. And pretty busy. Oh, yeah, and cheap. But mostly lazy." She turned back to her task, grinning.

"Cheap? It's not like you don't have the money for it," Raya mumbled with a pronounced roll of the eyes.

"Beside the point, kiddo." Haruka really didn't wish to impart the embarrassing fact that her father had left the family in debt and that she'd inherited no more than the books he'd so desperately cleaved to his whole life. "Now, what exactly did Gaara do? Honestly, Raya, I'm surprised. It's not often you come to me, ranting about the love of your life." She glanced sideways at Raya, who had scooted nearby and was now drying dishes with a cloth to free up space on the rack, her face tight with vexation.

The expression flickered like an extinguished candle and the girl let out a long and broken sigh. "He assigned me a mission with Naruto and Genma. Did you know Naruto was spreading those rumors about Hiro being my son? Baka. I kicked his ass for it."

Laughing out loud, Haruka passed her a dish. "Temari told me about the rumor. Sounded more like a misunderstanding than a rumor. She got plenty of free food that she was supposed to pass on to you," she replied with a giggle that faded away into grunt when she noticed how much her hands resembled shriveled up prunes. Repressing the urge to sigh as Raya was once again doing, Haruka leaned forward and glanced out the kitchen window.

Few people walked the sandy street. Haruka was about to look away when a familiar flash of orange caught her eye.

_Ohmygod, what is Kakashi doing on my street?_ Struggling to control her suddenly frantic breathing, Haruka bowed her head and returned to her dishes with a determination that had eluded her before. She wondered how long he'd been lingering there; had he been watching her? Could he even see into her window? Haruka threw a secretive glance towards Raya. Luckily, the girl hadn't noticed the sudden change in her behavior and was once again rattling off about how disgusting she felt Genma was.

" -- slimy pig, ugh. Well, I complained a _teensy_ bit, and then Gaara launched into this full on lecture about preferential treatment and how I shouldn't be abusing my friendship with him and stuff. Can you believe that!? He told _me_, the one person that _never_ asks for _anything_, not to abuse our friendship! What a load of shit!"

"That's nice, Raya," Haruka murmured, too preoccupied with the fact that Kakashi was seated across the street on top of the opposing apartment building. God, couldn't the man let anything go?

Obscured as he was by the shadow of the rooftop entrance, Haruka could not see his face. Feeling incensed, she pushed his unexpected presence as far from the front of her mind as she could and dropped her gaze.

_I don't care, his business is his business..._

Haruka quickly looked up and found that he had shifted so the light cascaded over his face, illuminating a brooding gaze. Haruka stared, transfixed by the image.

"What the -- " Raya frowned at her friend. "Are you even listening to me? Are you agreeing with Gaara-sama!? Haruka!"

"Completely, Raya, I totally understand..." Haruka was not listening, not even in the slightest. Kakashi had moved again and suddenly she could see his hands glowing in the late morning light, signing something in quick, sharp movements. Eyes narrowing, Haruka had no problem translating it from this distance.

_Meet me at the cliff entrance tomorrow at six for the mission._

Shit, shit, shit. Yet another worry tried to push as far away as possible. Her heart plummeting, Haruka realized she'd had it coming all along. Her horrible behavior to Kakashi, her insubordination towards Gaara, her blundering inability to be a decent kunoichi – it was karma coming back to get her for all the rotten things she'd done in her life by throwing her sinful temptation!

Scrubbing extra hard, Haruka absently glared into the frothy depths of her sink, Gaara's words from earlier reverberating inside her cluttered head.

"_Snow Country. I thought you'd be best suited, seeing as you've visited the place numerous times. No, Haruka, don't give me that look. If I didn't think you were up to it, I wouldn't have asked. As it is, this mission directly pertains towards the Hayashis..." Gaara paused, rubbing his weary eyes with a poorly-masked sigh. Clearing his throat, he continued, his voice frank._

"_Himura Tsuyoshi. I'm sure you've heard of him. Not much is known of him, except he deals in trade. He's the believed to be the leader of an unknown crime organization and is suspected of grand theft, piracy, murder, and now, it seems, a __rather public__ kidnapping. Our client prefers to keep his identity undisclosed, but his plea is urgent – rescue his daughter at all costs._

"_Tsuyoshi is not asking for a ransom; no price has been named, but there is no doubt that Tsuyoshi is involved – it stinks of his work. He denies allegations that he has kidnapped our client's daughter, and if anyone has any knowledge, they keep quiet. There is a rumor that he will make an example of our client's daughter, but I have reason to suspect that Tsuyoshi is looking into the slave market. Many would pay a steep price for her._

"_Tsuyoshi is throwing a 'party' of sorts, as he does every year to showcase his 'goods' to his wealthy customers, and it remains as exclusive as ever. As extravagant as he is, he has been a long-time customer of the Hayashis', and his upcoming plans are no different. He has requested a seamstress from your family's shop – your family has chosen to cooperate with us and it is crucial that you arrive in Snow as a Hayashi seamstress._

_Don't even begin to complain, Haruka-san. You were the one begging for more missions, so be glad I've but you back on the roster. I suggest you and Kakashi-san get over your dislike for one another."_

God, Gaara could be so infuriating. She could agree with Raya on that at least. Dropping the last dish on the drying rack, Haruka rubbed her pounding forehead with damp hands.

"Fricking a," she sighed, turning her back to the window as she flashed a gesture of agreement subtly. She was unable to see if Kakashi had seen her acknowledgment, nor did she remotely care.

Or so she told herself...

"What?" Raya's brows furrowed as interest took hold. She squinted at her. "I know that look. You're not telling me something."

Haruka stared at her, mind scrabbling to find the optimal words to keep Raya's probing questions at bay. Like she really wanted to bring Kakashi, of all people, into this conversation. It was just too tiresome and would probably lead to more revelations and lectures.

Raya waited, impatient since her discovery that Haruka had not been paying attention to her rant.

Nothing was coming to mind. Shit. Haruka haphazardly decided to blurt out the first thought that came to her.

"Daisuke's banned me from his family," Haruka said without pause. The second it was out of her mouth, she panicked, appalled by her own stupidity. What was wrong with her? That was the last thing she wanted to say to distract Raya from any Kakashi-oriented conversations!

_Crap, crap, crap._

Raya's irritation fell away like a curtain and her mouth dropped open – just the reaction Haruka had expected and had dearly wished to avoid.

What!? He can't – he just told you you couldn't visit?" Raya cried, her voice filled with shock. "Are you _shitting_ me!?"

Haruka nodded her head warily, wiping her hands across her slacks before sauntering towards the fridge. She berated herself silently for letting the cat out of the bag, but she couldn't deny that letting it out was exactly the remedy she needed. Still, each step made Daisuke's words more real to her until finally, the weight of it all – Isamu, Kakashi, Kimiko – came crashing down on her.

For a moment, she couldn't breathe. The screams festering within, clamoring for attention, they grabbed with iron-like grips at her, holding her deep inside. And then reality rushed through, hacking the hands away and sweeping her back on her feet; inhaling deeply, Haruka nodded her head again as she reached into the fridge.

"Yeah. He basically forbade me from hanging out with Suzume and Sayuri so he can save them from 'future heartbreak', apparently. Direct orders from the mother. Ramune?" She offered a bottle of the strawberry flavored soda with a hand that shook imperceptibly, but Raya shook her head. Shrugging, Haruka popped one open, a cool but slight relief washing over her as marble clinked glass.

"The hell with that! Daisuke can't do that! Sayuri's not even his kid!" Raya protested, grabbing Haruka by the shoulder to wheel her around so she could face her. Haruka looked at her with half-lidded eyes and raised the bottle to her lips, taking a deep drink.

"Yes, he can. He's Sayuri's legal guardian. Fuck, he can do whatever the hell he wants," she replied quietly, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

Haruka's eyes closed and she slumped her head against Raya's shoulder. "I should've seen this coming. She has to have everything her way, doesn't she? She couldn't control me, but she was always able to control some of the most important aspects of my life. I'm such a fucking dumb ass, Raya."

"Aw, no Haruka, you're not a dumb ass. Well... Maybe a little," she countered with a small laugh. Haruka imagined she was grinning shakily. "But not because of that. You're only stupid when it comes to taking care of _yourself_. Stop beating yourself up over everyone else's shit, especially your mom's, because you're worth more than that." Raya put her arms around her in a comforting embrace that calmed Haruka's racing heartbeat the slightest.

"I'm not beating myself up," she muttered, her voice muffled.

Raya scoffed. "Trust me, Ha-chan, you're beating yourself up. I know how stressed you are. You _collapsed_ from exhaustion the other day, you idiot. If that isn't a clear sign, I don't know what is. Worry about yourself instead of everyone else, just this once! Please?"

"But – there's so much -- Do you even know... Manami still needs me -- " Haruka protested.

"Shut up," Raya interjected firmly, eyes glittering dangerously. "Manami can wait."

_No she can't,_ she thought bitterly. Haruka growled, unmistakably cross, and tried to move away but Raya held her tight. Haruka half-wondered when she'd gotten so strong; she'd always been able to take Raya down. "Not until you promise," she demanded, her eyes unyielding.

Sighing, Haruka rolled her eyes towards the ceiling. "Fine. I'll worry about myself. Now, if you let me go, I have a mission to prepare for."

She could feel the surprise jolt through Raya as she released her. "Mission? But... Aren't you still recuperating from your dehydration? And didn't Akemi tell you to take it easy!? Why are you back on the mission roster so quickly?! Haruka, answer me!"

Haruka rubbed her suddenly aching temples. "Akemi-shishou has no control over the mission roster. Honestly, I'm happy for a break from the hospital. I've needed it for god knows how long... And I'm _fine. _You done with the inquisition!?" Laughing under her breath, Haruka took another swig of of her drink, delighting in the fizzy goodness that settled in her stomach.

"At least I'm not a dumb ass with attention deficit disorder!" retorted her purple-haired friend. Haruka snorted and laughed, louder this time, as she forced Raya out of the kitchen.

"Yeah, guess what, I don't have ADD. That's a behavioral disorder, hon. Besides, I heard everything you said..." Had she? Haruka struggled to recall it all then lit up with a victorious grin. "Ignore Gaara. He's been acting crazy lately. I'm sure he only said it because he was stressed and spread thin. I mean, c'mon, he's the Kazekage," she said with enthusiasm. "Besides, he's always had a soft spot for you."

"Okay, you've proved yourself to me," Raya responded jokingly, but anxiousness flitted across her pale face. "But... did you mean that? He has a soft spot for me? That's not true... Right?" She looked towards Haruka for affirmation.

Haruka let out a long laugh that was laced with the exasperation she felt. "Goodness, Raya, yes! He's always been looking out for you! If he hadn't, I'm sure you'd still be where you are now, but he probably made things a heck of a lot easier. Now, if you excuse me, I need to prepare for my mission!" Haruka shook her head with great amusement and disappeared into her bedroom.

"I still think you have ADD..." Raya frowned deeply, her eyes filling with a ponderous look. "Hey! Where are you going!?"

"Mission confidentiality!" Haruka called back as she snatched up the pack by her bed. Grinning to herself, she silently counted down.

_Three, two, one..._

"Just tell me!"

"Snow!"

Chuckling, Haruka shook her head and set about to stuffing her customary spare clothes in her pack. The last thing she needed was an awkward situation involving a lack of clothes with Kakashi. Cliché as such a notion was, Haruka would not risk humiliation because of some rare circumstance found commonly in the typical romance novel.

Still, a wild and fantastical part of her mind was very keen on entertaining a scenario that involved little to no clothing whatsoever.

There was a brief silence and then Raya was leaning against the door frame, watching her curiously, arms crossed over her chest.

"A bit twisted, don't you think?" she asked, her voice quiet and ruminative. Haruka did not miss the hidden inquiry: _are you really fine with this preposterous mission?_

Haruka snorted and tossed her kunai pouch and shuriken holster by her pack, half amused by Raya's sudden somberness despite the fact the mood was already steeped deep in her mind. "Extremely twisted," she drawled, scrambling with the distress rising within her. "Think I'll run into my grandparents?"

"Oh, most definitely. At the very least you'll run into some long lost family members. The Yukimuras' are a very populous clan, are they not?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm, prompting a laugh that was only _slightly_ strained from Haruka.

She really wished Raya would stop staring at her like that. Uncomfortable, she began to tidy up her room. She quickly tossed clean, unfolded laundry onto her unmade bed, coughing the second her hands were free. "Well, let's just hope they're not there to fuck things up like usual." Haruka paused, glancing towards Raya and wrestling with the idea of coming clean about everything. But why should she worry the girl further? Raya had her own things. Haruka could deal.

Raya smiled at her, completely unaware of her friend's plight. "You'll be fine."

Haruka glanced out the bedroom window, towards the smooth, blue sky and the silver head that was still perched on that lonesome building.

_Let's hope that_, she thought miserably.

**

* * *

**

Kakashi was two hours late. He suspected Haruka might be a little angry at having to wait, but he had to concede that she was already mad at him to begin with, for reasons he still wasn't sure about. Yeah, he might've impeded a bit on affairs he had no business impeding on, but who wouldn't have?

_A more intellegent man_, countered his ever-hateful mind.

No matter. Strolling through Suna at eight in the morning, he found himself enjoying the sweet and spicy scents that wafted through many of the bazaars. But baked goods were not really what he was looking for...

Pausing, he took a quick moment to think of any seedy establishments that were sure to exist in Suna, when he found the solution to his dilemma in the building right before him. Feeling decidedly happy to have found a place that sold nudie magazines, Kakashi made to go indoors when a vice-like grip hindered him.

"Oh no you don't!" the young woman snarled, and she tugged him along in the opposite direction.

_Fuck._ He knew that voice.

Kakashi sighed and let Haruka lead him towards the village's gates, trying not to feel too disappointed. So there'd be no dirty magazines in store for him, it wasn't like he'd die. Sure... Without much to distract him from a certain girl, he might go crazy both mentally and physically, but Kakashi could deal.

Haruka was livid, however, as she pulled him, steam practically blowing from her ears. He could practically hear her whistling like a kettle. Not that he could blame her. She did end up waiting two hours for his sorry ass, and for that, he would not take out his pent up frustrations on her.

"Kami, you're such a pervert Kakashi..." she muttered, throwing him a dour glance. The image was almost frightening until she stuck her tongue out at him. And what a pretty little tongue it was... "All you men are the flipping same! Now, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and tell you that you can probably go a couple days without that trash. You have your fucking _'Icha Icha_' after all... Dumb ass," she added under her breath, making it a point to sound as maddened as possible. "Completely worthless series..."

"Good morning to you too..." he replied in an unimpressed voice.

Reevaluating his stance on taking out his frustrations on Haruka, Kakashi decided he had absolutely no qualms about staring at her tight, round ass as she walked. How could he resist, anyhow? She made something as unsexy as a pair of black _jounin_ pants suddenly look very appealing, the way they slung low over her hips, skimming what he could only imagine were a pair of very nicely toned thighs...

Haruka snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Up here, big boy," she drawled, rolling her eyes.

His mouth quirked amusedly. Was that a note of smug satisfaction he detected in her voice? Kakashi raised an eyebrow in mock surprise as she resumed walking, trusting him to follow.

"How can you deem it worthless without ever having read it?" he inquired lightly, surveying her swaying hips with a discreetness that eluded many.

She turned and frowned at him, wrinkling her nose. Kakashi quickly banished the dreaded word before it could pop up in his mind. "I just happen to know it's worthless, _okay_?" she replied, an itchy irritation infused in her voice.

"And how would that be?" he pressed, though his interest in the topic was waning fast, transfixed as he was with the way she moved. She had to be doing it deliberately, knowing he was studying her every move with great pleasure. Women did not move like that unless they knew they were being watched and liked it.

_Oh you naughty little thing_, he thought, the corner of his mouth turning up into a hidden smirk as he secretly savored the sight of her smooth and slender neck. Was it possible for necks to look graceful? Kakashi wasn't sure, but there was a definite elegance and refinement to her pretty little throat, especially when her thick hair was bundled up like that, soft wisps of hair escaping to frame her pretty little face. How he'd love to be the one to leave a trail of love bites on such a neck...

Haruka glanced back at him, her dark eyes sheepish. God, how he loved that bashful innocence, especially the way her gentle and innocent blush belied her sultry physique. It was so hard not to stare when she tugged on her lips like that, inviting him to taste – shaking his head abruptly, Kakashi found it hard not to believe she was a machine meant to torture the likes of his perverted self.

_That's what you get for flaunting your love for porn_, his mind seethed, still irked that Haruka had inconveniently interrupted his search for dirty magazines.

"Uh..." She scratched her nose, pursing her mouth. "Well, for one thing, the plots continue to be nothing better than crap."

Suddenly attentive, Kakashi fixed her with a ludicrous, skeptical gaze, colored with a touch of twisted delight. "So the truth finally comes out," he teased, his eyes twinkling. "Haruka-chan, closet pervert!"

Her blush deepened and her shoulders hunched up the slightest as she bristled with offense. She looked just like an angry cat, hair standing on end. "I am not a pervert!" she protested vehemently, her voice rising into a squeak. Kakashi simply grinned at her, quelling the urge to laugh as he loped up alongside her. It was particularly comical, considering the pair of them were trying to shovel past the considerably awkward circumstances two days before.

And Haruka sincerely was trying to ignore it, he could see. There was a reservation in her eyes, a distance that told him she was only half-immersed in their conversation. Watching her closely, he briefly wondered what was weighing so heavily on her mind before shaking his head.

"I'm deeply sorry to inform you that everyone has a little pervert in them, and you, Haruka, are no exception. I suggest embracing it like the rest of us," he said, chuckling when she turned her nose up imperiously, crossing toned arms across her chest. Kakashi tried not to stare at her luscious breasts, pushed up so deliciously by her arms.

_Can she really _not_ know what she's doing? Shit..._ Kakashi looked away quickly, jamming his hands into pockets for lack of anything better to do.

Haruka threw him a look that said likewise. "Are you implying that celibate monks and pious hermits and whatnot have, as you so wonderfully put it, 'embraced' their inner pervert?" she countered with an impish smirk.

"You know, you're too cocky for your own good," he replied bluntly. "I'm sure this isn't the first time you've heard this either, so soak up my advice while you're still listening to an old man like me: cockiness really doesn't suit you."

She let out a laugh that was charming to the ears. He especially like the way her nose scrunched up and freckles stood out. Kakashi found it hard not to join in, but he did have an aloof persona he had to maintain after all. It had nothing to do whatsoever with the tiny but growing fact that he was forming an attachment, really.

_Right,_ droned that sardonic voice.

"And your advice is just _so_ valuable, isn't it?" Haruka snickered, shaking her bangs over her eyes, then sweeping them to the side. "Wow... And I'm the cocky one. Can you believe this guy?" she asked one of the _chuunin_ lounging about the front gates, apparently listening in on their conversation. "What an asshole."

"Hey," he defended, a small chuckle escaping him despite his better judgment. "At least I'm not a closet pervert..." he trailed off, his voice suggestive. The _chuunin_ let out a barking laugh that ceased abruptly when the petite woman threw him a venomous look. It slowly turned towards Kakashi.

He was not fazed. How could he be when she was pouting so --

_NO_, he shouted firmly at that dark and wicked bit of himself, laughing so nefariously in the corner of his mind.

"Oh, like being openly perverted is any better? And I'm not a closet pervert!" she cried, throwing her arms up in utter exasperation. All that was missing was her foot stomp from their conversation at the hospital.

"Sure Haruka-chan. _Sure_." Kakashi winked at her, amused when she blushed in spit of her anger. "You can deny it all you want but it still won't change the fact you're as perverted as the rest of the world at the end of the day."

Haruka's cheeks were flaming by now. The urge to giggle was overwhelming him, but men did not giggle. Which was sad because stupid things made him giggle like a child all the time... What the hell was he turning into?

"Haha. If you're done ridiculing me and -- " she shot the _chuunin_ manning the front gates a vehement glare, " -- telling _lies_, I think we should get a move on. We're two hours behind schedule because of you."

Kakashi frowned the slightest. _What schedule?_ He opted for the bothersome route rather than voicing his thoughts aloud. "Now see, you can't go blaming the delay on me. Such an inconvenience could have been avoided if you hadn't run away whenever I stepped within a hundred feet of you."

Haruka whipped around and fixed him with penetrating stare. Her eyes were incredulous. "How is your being late_my_ fault!?"

"Didn't I just tell you -- " he began, but Haruka cut him off.

"No, no, you don't get to say anything, you great big fart!" Nose flaring, she looked over her shoulder at the bemused _chuunin_ and hooked her finger around the corner of Kakashi's jacket, urging him away. "_You_ were the one searching for porn, not me! You're the late one! You said six o' clock, you loon!"

"Did I now?" he mused, tapping his chin in a curious manner. "I could've sworn I didn't speak to you at all yesterday."

If Haruka's eyes widened any further, Kakashi was sure they'd pop out like they did in those ludicrous horror movies his old students liked to watch these days. With her face so flushed and livid, she made for a ridiculous sight.

"So now you're going to be a pedantic little ass? Fine then, we may not have spoken, but I _saw_ you on the rooftop yesterday -- "

"You saw me?" He shook his head, sharing an embarrassed laugh with the _chuunin_, who did not know whether or not he should stay or run off, lest Haruka should rip his head off. "Really, Haruka-chan, I understand your sentiments towards me, but you can't go _following_ me everywhere..."

Haruka released him as if his touch scalded her; a hurtful concept, surely, but Kakashi wasn't about to fret over a girl's aversion to him, especially when such an aversion consistently flipped back and forth. He was mildly curious, however, by the hidden outrage in her eyes and her body language – he was certain her tongue pressed against her cheek was not a good sign. For a few silent moments, he stared at her whilst she resolutely avoided meeting his eyes.

Kakashi wondered if he had pushed her too far.

And then she was smiling prettily at him, crossing her arms behind her back and pushing out her succulent breasts so they rubbed against his arm, rocking to and fro on the balls of her feet with a tender shyness that had not been there before. "But Kakashi_-kun_," she sang softly, eyes alight as she reached out to brush her fingers in a light, inconstant pattern across the inside his elbow. "You didn't seem to mind so much last night..."

The girl had the gall to suck the corner of her lip, slowly and sweetly, her face filled with a coyness that, coupled with her trailing fingers, wet mouth, and smooth curves against him, nearly made his pants go tight. Behind him, the _chuunin_ smothered a laugh.

_Old man in a bikini, old man in a bikini,_ he chanted mentally, more than a little distressed by Haruka and what he hoped was not his glaringly obvious horniness.

"Uh..." Kakashi's mind blanked out, short-circuited from what he could only ascertain was a sexual attack. Could he report her for sexual harassment? Hell, he'd take sexual harassment from her any day. Damn her! "Really?"

Something distant flickered in her eyes and the _'I'm-an-innocent-virgin-who-wants-you'_ look slid like water from her face. In its stead came a not-so-genuine disgust.

"Ugh. Men," she spat, stepping back with a scowl. "You all think with your penis." She glanced at the _chuunin_ and turned away. "Put that in the fucking log, squirt. Hayashi out!" she snapped, throwing up the peace sign with her hand.

Kakashi watched her diminutive form walk away, small, consistent steps trailing in her wake. Stunned, he scratched the top of his head, thinking he may have just fallen in love.

"She scares me," whispered a small voice. "Does she really want me to log that?"

Kakashi didn't acknowledge the bothersome voice behind him. He was still reeling from the unexpected situation that had just occurred. Haruka continued to waltz off, each step more smug than the last. Shit, her ass was almost hypnotic.

With an imperceptible intake of breath, he shook free of the trance he'd fallen under. _So we're playing dirty now?_

Narrowing his eyes, Kakashi set off after her, purposefully pulling his trusted copy of '_Icha Icha_' from his hip pouch. A familiar look of lazy indifference settled over his shoulders, completely changing his stiff posture to one that was more at ease. His gaze, however, belied his wicked and filthy thoughts.

_Well, two can play at that game._

**

* * *

**

Haruka was on top of the world. She had kicked Kakashi's ass. She knew it. He knew it. He knew she was aware of her victory, and the fact she knew that just made her want to throw back her head and embark on a crazed laugh-fest. Each twitch of that impossibly gray brow would evoke an annoyance, and each twitch would be instigated by her self-satisfied demeanor. Oh, how she yearned to proudly wear the grin that itched at her mouth... How she wished to jump in front of him and make silly faces and call him stupid names...

Except there was no irritation on his face – or, at least, on the bits she could see. There was, rather, a methodical glimmer in that impossibly beautiful and indolent eye that made her slightly nervous and dimmed her absolute triumph, bringing her feet back down to what she would call a cold and hellish earth. Feeling remotely uneasy, Haruka snuck what could easily be described as a millionth look at her tall companion.

And with that glance, she had to bite back a heady sigh for the rascal. Haruka liked her men rugged, and Kakashi was certainly a rugged, rugged man that she wanted to do more than just taste. Trying not to rejoice in the delicious tingle of butterflies and warm pleasure, she let her gaze drop along the sharp, clean cuts of his wiry physique, biting her lip as she focused, quite uncharacteristically, on his ass. She was, after all, immensely fond of biceps and shoulders. And noses. But asses were good too. Especially his.

"Shit -- " Haruka tripped and nearly fell face-first onto hard and cracked sand. Through a series of arm flails and comical efforts to balance herself, Haruka halted the potential disaster with no more than a scrape across her palm. Breathing deeply, she brushed the dirt off her pants, she quietly prayed Kakashi had not seen a thing.

An amused chuckle – one that was growing all too familiar with her – resounded in the air. "Are you alright?"

_Damn!_ She'd never catch a break with this guy, would she? He just had to witness all her embarrassing moments. Always falling. Could she not walk straight? Moaning with mental exasperation, Haruka kicked herself. _My legs are fucking warped,_ she screamed in her mind.

_Keep it together, baka!_

"Uh – Yeah." She flashed him what she hoped was a confident grin. "Peachy."

Ah yes. She did not fail to notice his gaze drop to her breasts. It was so empowering to know how she could affect him. All it took was a tight top and some sultry eye tricks and _wham!_ Like putty in her hand...

He was frowning. Haruka suppressed her own frown – men did not frown when they gazed upon breasts, unless they were gay and Haruka was stubbornly sure the man was not a homosexual, despite how much Genma tried to disprove her.

"There's a cricket... thing... on your..." He uselessly flapped his hand around his own chest.

_Huh? What the hell is wrong with --_

Haruka's eyes widened and she quickly looked down at her chest. Fear jolted through her, shocking her into a sudden stillness.

_Holy fuck. Something... is.. crawling... on... my boobs._

"There's a..." That was when she started to hyperventilate. "O-oh my – shit... I-It's moving." Her eyes expanded until she was sure they resembled saucers, but she didn't care. "Kakashi, there's a bug on my boobs!"

The way he was staring, she was certain he'd noticed. Not that he'd pointed it out or anything...

While she screamed mentally in her head, she inhaled sharply and raised her chin in a futile attempt to escape the – what was it? Like she fucking cared. It was crawling, so slowly, inching upwards, towards the unclothed skin of her collarbone. And Kakashi was... snickering?

_Oh_, was he gonna get it...

"You fucktard!" she squeaked, though it was honestly more of a half-squeak-half-wheeze that often arose in her voice when she was distressed. "Don't laugh at me!"

He was full-on laughing now. Haruka was too petrified to appreciate such a warm sound, and that bugged her beyond compare. Damn it, she should be able to relish his laughter when she was lucky enough to hear it!

Stupid bugs. They were creepy and crawly and had way too many legs and shit, they were just so damn ugly with their spindly limbs and jerky movements and overall ugliness. Now that she thought it about it, she was kind of like a bug when she was younger...

Heart racing beyond its limits, Haruka raised her hand slowly, pulling her sleeve down over her fingers until they were fully shrouded. She swallowed hard and poised it above the grotesque creature that she was sure would feast on her if it reached skin.

Smashing her hand down, Haruka prayed, with all her might, that it was gone, squealing very loudly as she did so. Swift brushes over her chest and Haruka stumbled away, falling flat on her rear in the process. She wordlessly checked her boobs and heaved a great sigh of relief when her search revealed nothing more out of the ordinary. Feeling quite confident, she pumped her arm victoriously.

"Take that, you stinking son of a bitch!" she screamed at the lost insect. And then she fell back, head against the hard sand, staring up at the sky as she reviewed what was a contender for another humiliating situation.

Two feet planted beside her face, pale toes that reminded her of sausages wiggling almost experimentally in the hot, summer air. Not to mention they reminded her doubly so of her utter failure as a_ kunoichi._ And was that a gray hair on his big toe? Haruka forced down the urge to snort.

Nose flaring as silver-haired toes bobbed in and out of through her mind, she tilted her head up to squint her eyes at Kakashi and was instantly glad she was already on the ground. She'd have probably collapsed from a sudden swoon anyhow. Seriously, the man looked even sexier when he was looking down at you, so large and finely muscled, making you feel as if you were the only one in the world to him. Haruka swallowed, fighting off the sizzling awareness of his utter nearness.

Then she recognized the mirth on his hidden face. He watched her, his secretive mouth crooked and amused against his mask. "I never knew you were so fond creepy crawly critters, Haruka-chan."

_Smart ass. _She scowled at him, eyes narrowing and brows sharpening. "Alliteration won't make you look smarter, jackass," she retorted, sitting up. She doubled checked her hair and back for any more surprise bugs.

None. Breathing a sigh of relief, she leaned forward, fingers curling around her ankles as she debated ever standing up again. It sure as hell would save her a lot of embarrassment, what with her constant tumbles. But they did have a mission...

"Perhaps I have the heart of a poet?" He chuckled, just barely suppressing a smirk when her mouth twinged with sarcasm.

His eyes shimmered. She glowered at him. _Fruitcake_, she thought unforgivingly. Maybe if she glared at him enough, he would get the hint and walk away so she could think lethal thoughts about him.

Though if Haruka were to be honest with herself, she simply wanted another change to ogle at him and his fine ass. But if she was going to be honest, she'd have to admit that she really didn't want to be honest with herself. After all, Haruka was a perpetual liar. Or maybe it was just that she avoided the truth and liked to keep things hidden.

Whatever. The truth of the matter was that she did not like pointing the truth out to her egotistical self. It just saved her so much humiliation.

How could such ghastly thoughts run through her mind? Haruka's eyes narrowed at him. The ass was turning her brains to mush!

"I'm sure your flowery words and wonderful manners enchant the ladies with great success," she muttered. Her mouth fell open in mock surprise. "Wait a minute, what manners?"

"They're sitting at home in a trophy case if you're gonna look for them," he replied seriously.

Haruka nodded somberly, playing along for the heck of it. "It never occurred to you that perhaps you'd need manners in Suna?" She _tsked_ with disapproval. "Bad move, Hatake."

A hand popped up in front of her nose. Haruka scrutinized it, perhaps taking a little longer than necessary to imagine all the wonderful things those fingers could do. They began to wiggle impatiently. Watching her own guarded gaze in the mirrored back plate, Haruka hesitated to grab it.

"So now you whip out the charm? Ass," she muttered. He merely chuckled. Hiding her blossoming grin, Haruka grasped his hand and tried not to dwell too much on how fiery his touch was.

He pulled her to her feet in a quick and fluid motion that jolted her senses for a few moments. Perhaps he held her hand a moment more than was necessary, but she found it hard to focus on that fact when his silent gaze was fixed on her, roving her face with an undisguised hunger that set her body ablaze and her heart racing. Kami, she wanted him. He probably wouldn't object if she shoved him down on the ground and wantonly ripped his clothes off and had her way with him. Maybe she could fuck him and get on with her life, without completely destroying everything she had carefully built thus far.

Who was she kidding? What life? Everything was slowly being taken away, one by one. She'd end up with no more than her career to look forward to.

Coughing, she slipped her hand out of his comforting grip and let it fall with a bleak finality to her side. Such thoughts were hard to shake off, but if she simply recalled his touch, she found it was much easier to forget. Still, Haruka knew their mission would be doomed to fail if they continued to play this game of cat and mouse.

"So... Snow, huh?" Haruka stared into the horizon, trying not to let on to how uncomfortable she was.

"Mm. Snow," was all he said, moving alongside her.

Haruka ground her teeth and stiffly began to walk, silently adjusting her pack to a more comfortable and accessible position. A moment later, his footsteps joined the steady beat of her own, just a few paces behind her. She could feel his gaze boring a hole in her back. Perhaps she was being paranoid and obsessed, but she couldn't shake off the self-awareness she suddenly felt. He was a flipping shinobi for goodness sake. Haruka knew he was more subtle than that.

Maybe he didn't want to be subtle. Haruka may have only known him a short while, but he had quickly made it evident to her that he was not a man to be trifled with. He wasn't going to court her with flowers and pleasantries; there would be no pretty words and romantic moments that would sweep her off her feet. It would be awkward and hard and possibly aggravating, but something told her that there would never be a dull moment with him around. Especially not with his heated gaze and overwhelming presence.

Haruka slapped a hand – quietly – over her face. She was seriously losing it. Haruka had never reacted to any man in her life as she did around Kakashi. Men were creatures she only deigned to be with, mostly because she couldn't wrap her head around the idea of really trusting one enough to form any relationship. But Kakashi, he was as hidden from the world as she and that intrigued her. Was he shy, or did he simply value his privacy? Haruka had a feeling it was the latter.

Why was he even still talking to her? He should've been giving her the cold shoulder for the way she'd blown up at him two days ago. Not only that, but she found it incredibly odd they avoided talking anything deep. All the better for her, she supposed.

God, why was she even thinking about him? He was such a distraction! She'd probably be too busy ogling at him and impale herself on her own kunai in the middle of some unpredictable battle. Not to mention she'd probably run into her grandparents or one of her great uncles in the middle of their mission and both their covers would be blown. Then they would be captured by an enraged Tsuyoshi and the young girl they were supposed to save would look at the pair of them sadly, wondering how two competent (okay, one genius and one semi-competent) shinobi were captured when their task was easy peasy lemon squeezy, just before they were all slaughtered brutally before a captive audience.

_Easy peasy lemon squeezy? What the hell is wrong with me!?_ Haruka stared at the cracked ground, aghast.

"You look tense," he murmured beside her.

Thankfully, she didn't jump at the sound of his voice. She threw him a tight smile, taking in the sight of his salacious book. "I am tense," she said briskly, keeping the strain that threatened her at bay.

"It's just a mission. We go in, get the girl, and bring her back." He licked a finger and turned a page in his book. Haruka caught a glimpse of a generous bust and heavily dolled-up face and gagged in her head. _Ew._

Still... Haruka glanced down at her own breasts. They weren't _huge_ like the picture or even Hanajima, but she'd always been pleased with their size and the few guys she "dated" seemed to like them. Was Kakashi a boob-guy? He'd seemed so at the front gate, but that could've simply been all her charm and some of her sex appeal pooling together for a good cause. She secretively glanced at him. Geez, she was too inquisitive for her own good.

Kakashi noticed her quick look and threw her one of his own, his eye just as curious and doubtful. "Are you really that nervous over a mission?"

_What!?_ Haruka looked at him like he was the biggest idiot she'd ever seen. "I'm not nervous about a mission!" she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest indignantly. Kakashi simply stared at her for a few moments before silently turning back to his book.

Watching him, Haruka seriously considered drop-kicking the man. After a few minutes, she was forced to dump the idea by the suffocating silence. She threw her arms up in the air, exasperated.

"Are you really just going to read that dirty book the whole mission!?"

Coming to a stop, he fixed her with a unreadable look and was silent for a few moments. "That depends," he said finally. "Do you have anything better to do?"

Haruka swallowed hard. There was no mistaking the insinuation in his voice, especially when his eyes raked over her body so painstakingly, undressing her so informally. Her breath caught in her throat and his eyes jumped to her mouth.

Holy shit, how did he do that? Hadn't she just been thinking about causing him physical pain? Feeling very warm, Haruka scratched her suddenly itchy elbow, alarmed by her reaction to a simple stare. "Uh... Not really," she said softly. "Did you have anything in mind?"

She would not be cowed by his sex appeal. She was strong. She could withstand the temptation.

Oh frick, who was she kidding? Haruka couldn't possibly count the times she'd given in and eaten that last piece of chocolate cake in her fridge. That was what he was, the last piece of chocolate cake that would go straight to her thighs and make her feel like a monstrous hippo: delicious, certainly, and definitely not good for her.

Feeling lightheaded, Haruka avoided his gaze, failing miserably when she heard him hum thoughtfully. Her head snapped up.

And then he looked her in the eye, his mouth slowly curling into what had to be one of the sexiest masked smirks she'd ever witnessed. "A number of things, actually," he murmured, his voice a low rumble. There was a definite smugness to his demeanor, a dark arrogance that vexed her like an itch she couldn't scratch, but attracted her like a moth to a lamp all the same. She found herself licking suddenly dry lips, dealing with a hammering heart.

Oh God. She was cowed by his sex appeal. What was wrong with her? Her fantasies were coming true, and all she felt was a sudden breath-stealing fear. Could breath be stolen? Haruka was momentarily baffled by that thought before her attention leaped back to the present.

Then it hit her and she narrowed her eyes at him, a simpering smile stretching across her mouth. She shook her finger at him. "Ah... haha... You... You're good."

He had the gall to look baffled. His eyebrows shot up. "I am?"

Haruka laughed to herself, shaking her head. She could feel Kakashi's eye on her and she successfully resisted the impulse to squirm under such scrutiny.

Looking up at him, she grinned at him, albeit a bit suspiciously. She pursed her lips. "I know what you're up to."

Kakashi breathed a sound of amusement and turned his attention back to his book. "And what exactly am I up to?" he asked, just barely suppressing the humor from his voice.

Haruka shook her head. "Nuh uh. You're not flabbergasting me again!" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Flabbergasting?" Chuckling, he licked his finger and turned a page. Haruka was quite suddenly transfixed by the simple action of tongue meeting fingertip, especially when she recalled the one-fingered push ups she'd spied him completing from a distance a couple days earlier. Strong fingers... Holy cow, Haruka could just imagine what she'd like him to do with his index finger...

"NO!" she shouted, coming to a halt and clamping her hands on either side of her head in a futile attempt to stop the warm flush of fantastical images. "You will not intrude on my thoughts, you flabbergasting bastard!"

Kakashi didn't stop. In fact, she was sure his stride had doubled, and she was doubly sure she heard him snigger as he passed.

Haruka had the sneaking suspicion that the awkwardness she currently felt was only the tip of the iceberg.

**

* * *

**

"For the last time, Genma, _no_, I don't want to know. I'm feeling a little nauseated as it is," Raya muttered, slapping a hand over her eyes sullenly.

"Your loss," the senbon-toting man remarked cheerfully, his voice crackling over the radio.

Raya suppressed a groan. She knew it was no use harboring piteous feelings for herself, but really, there was no other way she could feel. Haruka had been little help, surprisingly, but Raya knew she was dealing with her own problems.

Squirming uncomfortably, Raya wondering for the millionth time how her friend was faring on her own mission. Was Kakashi driving her mad? Or was it the other way around? She knew how annoying Haruka could be, especially when she was in a tiff. And whoo, she had certainly been in a tiff when Raya had said her farewell.

"Raya-chan!" Naruto's voice, exuberant as ever, pulled her back into the odious reality that was her god awful mission. Seriously. Monitoring a road? Raya hated waiting, especially when there was no promise of any real action. At the most they'd find some petty rogues with stolen goods they planned to sell. Really. Raya wanted a _challenge_.

But no. Here Raya was, lying in a ditch surrounded by dry foliage and listening to a lecher and an idiot bicker over a radio. The only excitement she got was the occasional fire ant crawling up her shorts.

Sighing, Raya touched the transmitter at her throat. "Yes, Naruto?" she asked warily. If it wasn't Naruto asking her stupid questions about Gaara or Konoha, it was Genma with what could possibly be perceived as an innocent comment, if you were really that naïve. She wasn't sure who was worse to talk to.

There was a hiss of static, but no words. He'd probably picked up on her tone of voice and figured better of pestering her. He'd been like that since she dealt with his mindless spread of rumors.

"Ah... nevermind."

Raya huffed, carelessly tossing her hair over her shoulder as she squinted through the brush. If she stood up and looked way down the road, she might've spotted Naruto and his fluorescent jumpsuit, but sheer laziness and duty kept her glued to the dusty ground. She shifted to a more comfortable position and looked over the road again.

Still no sign of activity. It was gonna be a bust, she knew it. They'd lie around, waiting for hours like they had already done. Turning onto her back, she stared up at the cloudless sky and silently wished it would rain. She liked the way the rain felt, so gentle as it pattered down on her skin. She liked to think of the rain as a good ol' bath, washing away the troubles of the land.

Wow. That sounded stupid, even to her.

A half hour passed in silence. It seemed Naruto and Genma had gotten a clue. Raya breathed a sigh of relief, only half-enjoying the peace since she was, after all, baking in the sun. Really, she knew she should've put sunscreen on, but it had honestly fled her mind... Haruka would probably scold her when she returned home, red as a beet.

Another half hour passed, with more peaceful stillness and the infrequent rumblings of a starving Naruto and a bored Genma. Raya entertained the idea that they were dumber than apes for awhile before discarding it in a fit of boredom. Every now and then there was a false alarm as a small caravan would pass by, on its way to a nearby town.

Raya was drawing pictures in the sand with a stick (of her wringing Genma's neck happily) when the radio hissed to life. The sound was so unexpected after so long a silence that she jumped.

"Four guys. Mediocre skills, I'd say. I'm sure they're the target. Going..."

Not listening, Raya tried not to feel too embarrassed by the fact she'd _jumped_. Luckily, she was alone.

"WHOO! Finally, some action! I see some of 'em!"

"_Shit, Naruto, get back here now or I'll rip your balls off and stuff 'em down your throat!"_ As if to punctuate his threat, a cloud of dust rose far off in the distance. Birds screeched and took off in a flurry

Raya glared across the road, lying flat on her stomach, feeling all the effects of roasting, frying, baking, and broiling and complete jealousy. Ignoring that uncomfortable fact as much as she could, Raya focused on an especially ugly shrub with what looked like a dead stick of flower with much bitterness. It did occur to her that it was slightly – no, _incredibly_ – odd that both Naruto and Genma happened upon what could only be their target at precisely the same moment.

… _No way..._

She frowned, suddenly alert. Something was wrong. The frightened birds continued to shriek in haste, flapping their wings earnestly. _Towards_ the fight. Frowning, Raya crouched lower in the ditch, her finger poised above her radio.

"Need any help?" she whispered, her voice cracking as excitement rushed through her.

"We're good," Genma grunted through the static.

She hesitated for less than a moment before taking off towards the dense wood that surrounded the road. Raya wasn't about to let them steal all the glory, especially when she was near certain that more men lurked inside, doubtless to catch Naruto and Genma unawares. Raya grinned and moved faster, leaping from branch to branch, reveling in the shade that now covered her sweating body.

There was no movement; she sensed no one nearby, a fatal mistake that only an amateur or a complete idiot would make. Thrilled, Raya dropped to the ground and knelt behind some bushes. She peered out and did a silent victory dance, counting six jeering men as they made their way towards Genma and Naruto.

It was as she turned, all smirks and smugness, that she felt the blade press against her throat.

**

* * *

**

Kakashi scratched his chin, wondering how many demands she had for the innkeeper. The man, a stringy creature with the slim build of something like a swimmer, was nodding his head emphatically, taking in Haruka's every word. The woman in question was waving her arms to show just what size a suitable pillow really was.

To be fair though, all Haruka had really asked for was a stack of pillows and some miso. But Kakashi really didn't feel like being fair, tired and grumpy as he was.

Tuning out her voice as she once again told the keeper that flat pillows were no good, Kakashi wondered how his day could get any worse. The previous day had been filled with unresolved tension, Haruka stubbornly eluding any of his subtle attempts to fluster her. How boring. Any conversation they had was short and bland, Haruka resiliently picking at her nails with the sole intention of shunning him. There had been nothing better to do than to read his book – which was _wonderful_, by the way – whilst trying to ignore the tempting presence beside him.

He'd thought that she'd grow bored of her new game long before they arrived in Snow, but apparently that wasn't the case. She'd kept it up even when they'd crossed the border, entering the land of chill and ice. Every now and then she'd engage him in conversation, but she made it clear that _she_ was the one calling the shots and marking the boundaries. And inevitably, he'd step over the boundary and she would frown at him – with that adorable pout of hers – and return to the act of shunning.

She was testing him. She had to be.

Luckily, he got some piece of mind when she went to sleep, ungraciously taking his silent offer to keep watch first. Of course, that wasn't fair of him either, because he still wasn't sure if that was a soft '_thank you' _she murmured or '_asshole'_.

Sleep completely changed her. Gone was the anger and dislike, the patronizing, suspicious glances she had a tendency to throw towards him, replaced instead by a sweet calmness that reminded him of... water. Night changed her to an undisturbed lake, where her troubles with family and his own obnoxious self were submerged, temporarily forgotten. Daytime brought the return of the hurricane.

Was it strange for him to want to get closer to the hurricane? He must've been going mad.

"Geez, Kakashi-kun, get out of your head." Haruka poked his _hitaite_ gently, jerking her head towards the door the innkeeper must've went through.

"Ouch," was all he said, his voice wounded. Haruka's mouth twitched, as if she wanted to laugh, but she seemed to think better of it.

That was annoying. God, he wanted to rip that mask off her.

"C'mon," she muttered, slipping through the door, her sylph-like body swaying with each step. Kakashi took a deep breath and followed her, gathering himself as he moved.

The inn was a gaudy place that strove to replicate that home-sweet-home feel. Kakashi wasn't feeling it, and judging from Haruka's tight expression, neither was she. The hall the keeper led them through was tall and narrow, with a colorful, flowery wallpaper and golden lights that creaked the slightest as they swung. It wasn't long before the keeper proudly showed them their adjacent rooms. After assuring Haruka that yes, she would get her abundance of pillows and miso, the man left them to their own.

Kakashi looked at her, the image of leisure with his shoulders slouched back, his hands jammed into his pockets. Haruka returned his gaze, resolute. Neither of them spoke, too encompassed with the silent war that waged between them.

She was the first to buckle. Coughing into her fist, she looked away casually, shifting her weight. "So... I don't know if you were listening, but I asked the innkeeper how far Shiromura is from here and it's only a couple hours, so we could probably make it there by late morning or noon if we leave early." She peeked over at him.

"Mm..." Kakashi shrugged. She bristled for a second, as if to berate him, but a moment later she deflated, as if too weary. Something tugged at him, a sudden compulsion to know just what had flashed in her eye.

For a moment, she hesitated, torn between making the next move or surrendering. He could feel it; she was so close to opening up, breaching that black void that stood between them... And then, with a sudden howl of wind from outdoors, she was gone, back behind her walls.

"See you in the morning then," she said flatly, turning.

Something snapped in him.

**

* * *

**

A sound of utter infuriation met her ears and suddenly Haruka found her back pressed against the cherry oak door, Kakashi's strong arms blocking any path of exit. His face loomed before hers so ominously, his eye dark and unreadable. Haruka could feel the tension rolling off him and she swallowed audibly, unable to tell if he would rip her throat out or ravish her senseless. She dearly hoped it was the latter.

The sudden fear must've read in her eyes, because a moment later he eased up, muscles relaxing slightly as his head bowed. An angle of silver hair flopped down, tickling her nose.

Haruka pushed herself closer to the door, concerned but nervous none the less. All pretense had been forgotten, the game abandoned. "Are you alright Kakashi-kun?"

A strangled sound escaped him; it took her a moment to recognize it as a delirious laugh that reverberated throughout the narrow hall. It was so different from the luscious laugh she secretly loved. A chill unrelated to the icy weather swept over her.

"No," he rasped, looking up at her without moving; the effect was a bestial one that set her heart racing with a thrill and panic. "I'm not alright."

Haruka was confused, hesitant to let him see that his behavior was frightening her. "O-oh," she said finally, after an interminable moment of silence. There was the hum of a heater somewhere, but even that seemed to quiet in the wake of their conversation.

And despite the awkward ice that clung to the air, Haruka could not stop herself from admiring his muscled arms. Holy hell, she'd seen him training. Secretly. She knew more than a dozen points in the city where she could catch him unawares so as to admire his lean physique. It was an arousing experience itself just to watch his fluid exercises.

_Shit_, she _was_ a pervert...

A humorless chuckle escaped him. "How the hell do you do that?" he suddenly asked, honest curiosity ringing in his low tone. Haruka was surprised by how open and candid his voice was. It was mildly disconcerting, to say the least, and it made her feel just a tad shameful since she didn't have the guts to let herself loose around him. _Just _when she thought she had him figured out, he'd throw her a curve ball.

She frowned at him, quelling the peculiar urge to stroke his cheek with a tenderness she did not want to be perceived as weakness on her part. Like she needed to come off even _more _batty, in lieu with her newfound perversion. Okay, maybe not 'newfound' so much...

"How do I do what?" she asked, unable to stop her voice from dropping to a whisper. There _was_ no one around, after all. Why the hell were they whispering?

"Confuse me," Kakashi responded in a raw whisper. A barely suppressed gruffness was evident in his words.

Haruka opened and closed her mouth, unsure how to answer. What did he want her to say? That she confused a lot of people on a daily basis, that this was nothing new for her? Brows knitting together, she struggled to think of a suitable response that wouldn't send him hiding behind his armor again.

All thought promptly fled her mind when his forehead fell against the smooth part of the door beside her head, his chin grazing her shoulder the slightest. In that instant, Haruka felt something crawl away from her in an attempt to hide. She had never before felt further away from someone so close. It was amazing how even when he had her pushed up against the wall, Kakashi could still alienate her; he maintained a somewhat specific distance from every part of her body, pushing himself away from the temptation. Her body tingling, Haruka entertained the idea that if she simply swept in a deep breath, her body could meet his, that her chest could brush against his...

A sharp intake of breath and she was glaring at his ear. He was unwittingly transforming her into a horny sex fiend!

_Bite his ear_, her mind growled quite seductively. _Lick him, taste him, fuck his brains out --_

Kakashi's voice suddenly rumbled in her ear, tickling her skin and sending a shiver racing down her spine. Her breath hitched – was he _aware_ what he was doing to her? "I don't understand you at all," he muttered, almost to himself. He was unable to completely hide the aggravation from his voice.

_He doesn't understand me? I don't understand him! Crazy bastard. Why the hell do we have to understand each other?_ She struggled to contain an irritated grunt from escaping her. _Just do me, you idiot!_

A small chuckle escaped her, though the last thing she like doing was laughing. She'd much rather have this man thrown down onto the ground so she could have her way with him.

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't understand you either," she responded quite bluntly, trying to shove away the strong desire that pounded through her relentlessly.

His smooth laugh fanned across her skin like a burning wildfire and her heart skipped a beat. Holy shit, his breathing alone could give her a heart attack, and it was _already _being filtered by a bloody mask. If she did die that way, Haruka had no doubt she would've died a most happy and pleased person.

Something clicked inside her. Compulsion tugged at her heart, pulling down her barriers.

"Kakashi-kun," she began gently, pausing with a small smirk when she felt him stop breathing. He was so rigid and tense, his jaw tightening visibly as she could see from the corner of her eye, but he was listening with an attentiveness that made her swell with importance. "You need to _relax_."

He sighed, the straightforward act causing her heart to flutter yet again. "I can't," he growled, his voice rent with something she couldn't recognize.

Haruka rolled her eyes. Obstinate man. "And why is that?" she inquired, trying to keep her voice light and friendly. Beside her, she could feel Kakashi calculating her question and it almost made her laugh and cry at the same time.

_It's so simple, you stupid, stupid man!_

A long groan escaped him; Haruka struggled to dismiss such a carnal sound, but it was so hard when all she could do was imagine his rough, calloused hands on her skin and his hot, moist mouth trailing all over her body.

She drew in a long and shallow breath, her wide-eyed gaze looking past his shoulder and drilling a hole in the opposing door.

"I'm trying so hard," he muttered darkly after a long moment. Haruka was certain he was talking to himself now. Alarmed, she watched his fist clench and unclench beside her; a guilt swept through her when she realized what it was he meant and what it was doing to him. Her eyes squeezed shut and it occurred to her that they were both treading unfamiliar territory. There was no doubt in her mind that she was as strange to him as he was to her.

She wanted to change that. She didn't want to be a stranger to him, or a gawky child, or even just a comrade. She wanted to rip off that platonic label and replace it something so much wilder.

Without a second thought, Haruka wound her arms around his shoulders and gently drew his face towards hers; an excitement scorched through her veins, empowerment rushing through her. Combined with his musky scent, the effect was that of being lightheaded and unlike herself, but she figured that was just the boost she needed to cross the line – a second time – with this alien man.

Her gaze caught his; he was watching her with bated breath, measuring her, still striving to understand her. What was so complicated about her? She was plain and simple Haruka!

Her heartbeat was all over the place as she raised a hand, all but aware of his unwavering, wary gaze trailing her digits. A finger twitched, curling and catching against the hot fabric of his mask. Kami, he was so close she could feel his breath through the damned thing and it was making her lose focus!

Biting her lip, she briefly wondered if he would stop her. She pushed that thought away before it could nag her and tugged the mask down in a sweeping movement, bringing with it the final wall that stood between her and Kakashi.

The face she saw was one so familiar that she couldn't speak for a moment. There was a normalcy she hadn't expected, especially in the day-old stubble that had begun to graze his strong, sharp chin and the faint tan line his constant mask-wearing had created. The long and sharp profile she had found herself admiring ever so often was one that angled out nicely, straight and flawless, save for a small nick on the bridge that she dearly wanted to tweak – goodness, was she a sucker for scars. His mouth was a wide and sensuous one, pale and slightly parted, crooking with a bitter amusement and revealing the makings of a most adorable dimple she desperately wanted to poke. Haruka's heart skipped a beat and she anticipated a witty comment that never came.

Hesitantly, her fingers skimmed across his jawline, tracing high cheekbones, the bottom half of the ragged scar that ran through his left eye. The other had closed at her touch, but when she stopped it opened to fix her with a curious stare.

It didn't matter to her that what she was doing was incredibly wrong and out of line – he was, after all, a colleague, a teammate, and a foreigner from a country that was a wary ally of its rough and sandy neighbor. He was absolutely free to stop her. All she could think about was erasing the small line that was creasing between his pale eyebrows. And so she stood on the tips of her chubby little toes, her hands still holding his face so endearingly, and brushed her lips across his in the lightest of kisses.

"Then let go," she whispered against his mouth, smiling slightly. Holding her breath, she slowly raised her gaze and met his, unsure of what she would find.

His eye was hooded, a monsoon of emotions that sent a twist of excitement knotting through her belly. There was a pause in which both of them stared, unblinkingly, at each other. Haruka forgot she'd been holding her breath and she let it all whoosh out in a single gust, forgetting for the moment that her mouth was practically touching his and that she might have really bad halitosis.

Of course, all previous thoughts became null when he kissed her. _Really_ kissed her. His hand slipped up, tickling her wherever it brushed until finally, it curled around her neck, so hot against her skin. He didn't have to move much, as close as they were, but Haruka found herself leaning forward in eager anticipation.

His mouth moved over hers, and she responded with fervor, the world spinning away in a haze of desperation.

Everything happened so fast, and yet, seemed to last forever. Every touch and caress, each sigh and moan, every laugh, every whisper, they all rang so clear in her mind. Clothes rustling gently as they were tossed carelessly aside, skin meeting skin, warmth, friction, ecstasy... She couldn't, for the life of her, remember when they had slipped into a room.

She gazed up at Kakashi, breathing heavily. A part of her tried to protest, but sheer loneliness prevailed, quelling her better judgement. The candid look in his eyes, his beautiful, mis-matched eyes, left her breathless and Haruka found herself letting go as never before in the cold veil of night.

His fingers trailed across her stomach, rough and gentle at the same time, dipping closer and closer to her bundle of nerves, touching, brushing, tweaking. Haruka tried not to cry out as wave after wave of pleasure bounded over her, proud as she was. She knew she was a goner when his head disappeared between her legs, the ghost of a smirk lingering behind.

The first dart of tongue and her resolve shattered. She cried out over and over, stumbling over his name as all sense fled her. And then he was up again, licking his lips as if he'd just enjoyed a five-course meal. Had she the strength, Haruka might have laughed, or even kicked him, but she was suddenly aware of something hot and heavy against her.

She looked up at him; he was watching her, half-wary, as if she might go ducking back into the woods. She laughed, and he smiled, and she had to stop herself from poking that dimple.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Haruka was comforted by the rasp in his voice.

"I think it's a little late to ask that," she laugh, raising an eyebrow.

"Even so, _are you sure?__" _he asked again, insistent. All jokes aside, Haruka looked up at him and met his smoldering gaze dead on. He knew her answer, but she did not fail to see the battle in his eyes and she was suddenly struck by the immovable fact that he was just as unsure as she.

Swallowing away all her fears, Haruka nodded once.

**

* * *

**

Dreams evaded Kakashi that night. For the first time in a long while, his sleep was an easy, restful one. No guilt-ridden dreams, no sight of lost loved ones, no malicious whispers... It was a far cry from the sleepless nights he was used to, but he wasn't complaining.

The same could not be said for Haruka. Beside him, all through what little night was left, she tossed and turned, mumbling inaudible things, sighing with such great fatigue, curling into ball and then uncurling suddenly. Restless as she was, he knew she tried hard not to waken him when she rose just before dawn.

Lying on his back, he watched her lope towards the bathroom with half-lidded eyes. It was hard not to admire her from this angle, especially when she knelt to swipe up an armful of rumpled clothes. It was almost enough to rouse him entirely.

Kakashi willfully told himself no.

With a barely repressed sigh, she swung the door to a close with her foot. There was a blink of light under the door, the brief sound of rushing water, and then a heavy silence.

_No..._ Kakashi frowned. She was muttering something, again and again. He strained to listen.

"_Stupid, stupid, stupid... God, Haruka, you fucking idiot..."_ There was a strangled sound and a slight thump. _"You'll never fucking learn, will you?"_

And then the light was off, the door swinging open with a gentle creak, but Haruka did not return. Kakashi could see her figure in the darkness, lingering in the doorway. She was silent, her breaths slight as she stood, unmoving.

"I know you're awake," she murmured suddenly. Kakashi hid his surprise, though the dark did that quite easily.

He watched her, eyes glinting with curiosity. "What gave me away?"

"You're too stiff to be asleep. Besides, I can tell by your breathing, and I've got it from a trustworthy source that you're a bad liar. Did I wake you?" She moved closer and perched on the edge of the bed. She'd changed back into yesterday's clothes, eliminating any morning quickies, lest he persuaded her. But from what he'd heard, that was the last thing she wanted. Kakashi repressed a mournful sigh.

"Hmm... Naruto's mouth is too big," he murmured to himself with a frown. Shaking free from the thought, he threw her a grin. "Don't worry yourself, I needed to wake up. I had far too nice a sleep."

She was blushing. Even in the pitch dark he could tell. A good sign, he hoped.

"And that's a reason to wake up?" she questioned, her voice filled with disbelief. He liked how attentive her eyes were to him, watchful, inquisitive, filled with a great charm.

"Nah. Have you already forgotten our prior engagement? Tsk, tsk, Haruka..." He chuckled. "The beds are, however, quite comfy..." He winked at her, knowing she was watching him close enough to notice.

It was enough to elicit the warm and hopeful response he wanted: Haruka laughing. Yet another good sign. He surveyed her with a bleary eye, noting her small hands – oh the things they could _do_ – smoothing away at the wrinkles in the bed sheet.

Such nervousness, still, and yet it remained endearing. It lay to question Haruka's experience in such things. She snorted under her breath. "Are you kidding me? This hotel is so sleazy..." she muttered.

"It's not sleazy," he corrected, his low voice still thick with sleep. "It's seedy."

He imagined her rolling her eyes at him. "I meant what I said," she shot back, though there was humor in her words. "This hotel – as well as most others – is sleazy! But I will admit, it does have a seedy vibe to it..."

He was silent for a moment, measuring her words and loving the way she squirmed impatiently for an answer. So he had managed to coerce her into normal conversation, the latest in his string of good signs that told him he was on the right track with the unpredictable tsunami of Haruka's world.

"How can a hotel be sleazy?" His gravelly voice was dissipating, thank goodness, but he could not hide his incredulity. Maybe it was the sleep.

"If everyone does the things we did, then I daresay this hotel is sleazy, no matter how empty this place is." The corners of her mouth turned up in a winning smirk, her eyes alight with mischief.

The night replayed itself in his mind – every touch and sound – and he grinned at her, forgetting his promise to remain on his best behavior. "So naughty, Haruka-chan. Is that an invitation?"

"Dirty old man!" She slapped his leg. "We have a 'prior engagement', or have you already forgotten Kakashi-_kun_?" she teased, struggling and failing to hide her grin in the fading darkness.

Kakashi let out a remorseful sigh, stretching his arms behind his head. "Is that a no then?"

"You bet your ass its a no, Kakashi. I wanna get out of here as fast as possible before anything horrible happens." She watched him closely, all business now. "You don't know Tsuyoshi. He's been a thorn in everyone's side for so long, secretive in his dealings, bringing down his enemies in a single strike. Just getting one girl out of his hands can prove to the families he terrorizes that there is a chance of bringing down this mofo..."

Sniffing disdainfully, Kakashi returned her ever-watchful stare. "You weren't this passionate about the mission when Gaara-sama assigned it you. Why the change of heart?"

Haruka sighed and glanced away, out the window where light tufts of snow drifted from the cedars. "I hate coming here. Too much bad blood and all, and something _always_ goes wrong when I'm in Snow," she murmured, shivering the slightest. She slowly looked at him, her gaze searching his for a moment, measuring him. "I came here a lot when I was a kid. My mom was born here and when she was older her family emigrated to Suna, but the rest of the Yukimura clan resides in Snow as well."

Kakashi watched her reaction closely. "That's why Gaara-sama chose you," he observed quietly.

"Yeah. It's been two years since the last mission though." She sighed, dragging a hand through her bed-tousled hair. "My mom used to drag me here in the hopes of stamping out my determination to become a shinobi. That backfired though," she laughed softly. "My grandmother was all for it, said girls should be learned and skilled and independent. But like the word of one cracked old woman mattered, right? Hell, I've hated Snow dearly all my life.

"But... being here again, after so many years... All I want to remember is the good." She glanced out the window, at the lightening sky, a canvas of purples and red brush strokes. The first vestiges of the sunrise were beginning to hit her face, illuminating her stubborn jaw and reminiscing eyes. Kakashi was entranced, until she shook her head quickly, as if shaking off the moment. "Shit, I'm going on again, aren't I? I do that a lot when I'm nervous..."

Kakashi breathed a chuckle, secretly cursing Haruka's determination to be a wall, no matter how cracked it may be. "I thought you weren't nervous about the mission?" he quipped.

Haruka looked at him oddly; the expression was a strangled one and was gone in the next second. Her smile dimmed somewhat.

"I'm not," she replied resolutely. Her eyes met his and he saw the need to come clean, to let out whatever it was that was bothering her. The scary part, to him, was that he had no problem being her confidante. Something was coming over him, and Kakashi was not sure if it was good or bad.

But the mission was calling with every second the sun rose, and once again, the mission was the dominating force in his life. Though he was torn, Kakashi eventually pulled himself away from his feelings, more than a little disgruntled.

It could wait, he told himself. After all, Haruka wasn't going anywhere.

Clearing his throat, he looked away and stood up, stretching with a barely disguised groan. "We'd better get a move on if we want to hit Shiromura by noon."

She nodded her head, but her prying eyes never left him. Kakashi couldn't shake the feeling that he'd missed something.

**

* * *

**

Inhaling deeply for the millionth time, Haruka wondered why she had been roped into a Snow-oriented mission yet again. After her father died, she'd promised herself she'd never return, and how many times had she gone back on her word? Two years, it'd been, and she was already back for more shit in a country she despised.

And the memories... everything came rushing back to her. Every passing glance to the shimmering, wintry scenery brought on a tumultuous rush of emotions. How many times she'd traveled these very roads with her family, pranking Daisuke with an impish Miyako in tow, begging her father for stories, pestering her mother with her silly antics...

Remorse filled Haruka, but she pushed it away, her face betraying no emotion. She was a hard-headed, haughty seamstress traveling to meet a cold-blooded man, not some weak-willed little pansy ready to cry because a few trees and a little snow brought back recollections of the past.

She slapped herself mentally, squared her shoulders, and threw her nose up in the air. Recalling her mother's lessons, she swept past Kakashi with an elegance that had evaded her most of her life.

After Kakashi had slipped into the shower, Haruka had pulled out her kimono and set about to putting it on, a task she'd always hated when her mother announced they were going out for dinner or visiting friends. A rusty copper with a gold crane pattern and a scarlet trim, Haruka was reluctantly pleased with the result, though she did need Kakashi's help with the deep red obi.

They'd gone over the plan, which was surprisingly straightforward and simple. Haruka would go in and play the part of a huffy seamstress for Tsuyoshi while Kakashi, her hired mercenary, would scope for the client's daughter, Momoko. Haruka told him the plan was very basic and filled with flaws and Kakashi had retorted it was a work in progress. What if something went wrong, she'd snapped, what if they couldn't get Momoko out and their identities became threatened and it was impossible to sneak back in to snatch her? Would they break her out immediately and flee or would they wait for the opportune moment and then bust out? What if Kakashi fell and broke his neck and she was forced to choose between saving him or Momoko?

Kakashi had swatted her head with his book. He called her a pessimist and promptly informed her that he would never fall and break his neck because he was simply too awesome a shinobi for that.

"Geez Kakashi, you're so full of yourself," Haruka muttered back in the present, whirling around to survey him. Not caring to question what sounded like an offhand comment, Kakashi flashed her a peace sign, his gaze never once leaving his book.

Such a simple gesture, and yet Haruka could not shake off the feeling that he was distancing himself from her. Oh the irony. Rolling her eyes, Haruka recalled all the dating advice she'd been given and wondered if she'd relinquished herself to him too soon. Not that she'd planned on ever dating him, but still, shouldn't there be some connection between them, especially since they'd finally gone and done the hot and nasty?

_Good God_, she thought in horror, a wave of nausea rolling over her. _I'm thinking like some naïve little girl._

Still, it was hard to dispel the strong current of emotions she'd felt last night. She could almost feel his body moving with hers, every thrust bringing a throbbing, aching need between her legs.

_Snap out of it!_ Nostrils flaring, Haruka clenched her thighs together and forced Kakashi from her thoughts. A difficult task, since he'd just caught up with her slowing steps. It was so hard not to stare, especially now that he'd shed his mask and _hitaite_. Seeing him in full on sunlight was an almost religious moment for her.

How infuriating. Haruka had so many other things to worry about, and this oaf, no matter how sexy and undeniably _cool_, kept returning to the forefront of her mind. So stupid. Haruka had no need for a man in her life, not now, not ever, and she wasn't going to let her little slip with Kakashi hold her back from that. She'd been so foolish with Kakashi up 'till now, letting him catch her so emotional. It was the dreams, she knew it, because though Miyako had always haunted them, new guests had arrived, each concentrated her shortcomings. Manami, Raya, Hanajima, her mother.

And now, her father.

Shit, she was stupid. So stupid. She was a stupid, stupid girl with too much on her plate.

_Focus on the mission_, she told herself shakily. _Forget everything else. Forget Manami, forget Raya and Hanajima and mother and Kakashi, forget dad, forget it all..._

And that was just what she did. She traveled with Kakashi in voluntary silence, chilled to the bone not by the cold, but by the gravity of the mission. The fear she felt was not for anything Tsuyoshi could do, but for the influence of her family lest they recognized her. As the sun crept higher into the cool, gray sky, she and Kakashi came closer to the secluded Shiromura, and their inevitable meeting with Himura Tsuyoshi.

It was not until they were just outside of town that Haruka spoke. Masked from sight by a scattering of pines and cedars, they halted for a brief review of the plan. Timidly drinking her water, Haruka only half-listened to Kakashi.

" – catch us in town since they'll consider me a threat, but once you verify that I'm with you, it'll be fine. They won't take us to Tsuyoshi right away, considering you're not the seamstress they expected. They'll question us separately, see if our stories are straight, but they won't really risk anything with you. We'll be separated after that, but I'll contact you when I'm able to locate Momoko. We won't be able to get her out for a day or so, probably not until Tsuyoshi's party. They'll expect jailbreak before or during the party, but if we hit them just after, before anything can happen to Momoko, we should be good... Got it?"

Haruka nodded her head. Kakashi kneeled in front of her and put a hand on her shoulder. Struggling not to jerk away from such a familiar touch, Haruka avoided his gaze.

"You okay?" he asked. She could hear a worried rumble in his voice and she tried to ignore the warm feeling that bubbled inside her.

She smiled at him weakly. "I'm fine. And _no, _I'm not nervous." Biting her lip, Haruka leaned forward, bridging the gap between them. "But don't you get the feeling that we're walking into something?"

His eye searched hers and the warm, bubbling feeling expanded to envelope her entire body. Feeling on edge suddenly, Haruka looked away, trying not to linger on the fact he'd seen and explored every inch of her. After a long moment, he sighed and straightened up.

"We're always walking into something, Haruka. We've got no other way to get the girl than to go in ourselves. Now come on. We've got work to do." He offered her his hand and after a brief moment's hesitation, she took it and let him pull her up.

Feeling substantially better about the mission, Haruka followed him, watching as he stowed away his book and stuck his hands in his pockets. She continued to feel something was a miss, however. All the whispers around town did little to calm her nerves as well. They were everywhere, ominous words about the grisly murder of Tsuyoshi's sole son, about the rival clan that had committed the deed. She heard the murmured question of how Tsuyoshi would retaliate, how it would indeed be horrific.

Just as Kakashi predicted, they were barred from further passage by a pair of burly men; Haruka disliked the look of them, with their bulging muscles and visible weapons and roving eyes. They were pulled aside and questioned and Haruka felt she played the part of a high-and-mighty woman exceptionally. She exclaimed in all the right places, wrenched her arm away at the right moment, demanded to speak with their advisor when the situation finally called for it. Her bags were searched, their stories checked, and finally, _finally_, they were taken to the compound.

It was not the fearsome place she expected. In fact, it was quite the opposite, built with grandeur and magnificence in mind, but Haruka did not fail to see the strategic advantages of its location. A small canyon that overlooked the the dale of Shiromura, covered by falls and protected by bluffs, Tsuyoshi's compound was certainly a logically-built structure with questionable intentions that only a fool could miss.

Still, it was breathtaking experience with the combined effect of mist, fog, and snow. Haruka knew she would not be satisfied until she returned and captured the great dale on canvas.

What was she thinking? They were trying to bring Tsuyoshi down, not paint his home. Swallowing her silly thoughts, Haruka and Kakashi followed the burly men deep into the compound. There, they were separated and one final glimpse at Kakashi as she was led away told her that he had this _down_.

Haruka would've preferred to stay with him, but duty called.

"I'd like it if you kept him alive, boys," she cried extravagantly. "It's distressful how many pretty-faced hires I lose to your lot!" The muscled men exchanged smirks and Haruka turned away from Kakashi, throwing in a last minute prayer for his welfare.

A servant girl with pretty blue eyes took her to her rooms and shyly pointed out the dining hall. Tsuyoshi would not need her now, she told Haruka somberly, not until the morning since she'd arrived so late. Haruka merely nodded and waved the girl away with a sniff.

The second her bags were set down and the doors slid shut, Haruka's shoulders slouched and she heaved a great sigh. "Yeesh, my back is killing me," she muttered. Rubbing the aforementioned wearily, she set about to inspecting the room thoroughly for any bugs and found one hidden under the bed.

She left it there and sat on the bed, frowning to herself. Tsuyoshi wanted it known he was listening, probably to instill fear in his house guests. That, or he was a very kinky man. Smoothing her hands over the silken sheets, Haruka sat back and threw a lazy eye over the room.

Lavish seemed too small a word for the room. The room was _excessive_. From the luxurious rugs and curtains to the ornate furniture, gilded in gold, Haruka was a little nauseated to think how Tsuyoshi had managed to pay for it all.

He'd pay. They'd find Momoko, save her from whatever it was Tsuyoshi had planned for her, and bring enough dirt from this rotten place to take him down for good.

Smiling to herself, Haruka's final thought was of Kakashi before sleep took over.

**

* * *

**

He'd found her.

Kakashi was a little surprised it was so easy, but he figured it was simply his talents at work. Still, maybe it had been a little _too_ easy, especially considering the fact the girl was not locked away in a cold, dank dungeon with no more than the clothes on her back.

In fact, she looked pretty cozy for a prisoner. Prisoners did not traipse about their captor's home dressed in finery, but then again, looks could be deceiving. There was a decided heaviness to her gait, a reluctance in her every footstep.

_Hm_. Kakashi took a bite out of his stolen apple and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. It was a little weird without the mask, but he was able to manage. He was like a chameleon, adapting to his environment.

Shifting his weight, Kakashi leaned against the wall and surveyed the girl as she walked down the hall, her dusty rose kimono whispering across the marble floor as she moved. She was a small thing, kind of like Haruka, only much slimmer. Alarmingly slimmer. Her round face would've been attractive if not for the hollows in her cheeks and the taut pull of skin at her jaw.

"She smells different," remarked the small dog by his leg. He looked up at Kakashi, perplexed. "Not like a normal female. You sure this is the one, Kakashi? She looks like walking death."

Kakashi took another bite. "Take another whiff and tell me yourself," he mumbled through the apple. The dog shifted impatiently at his feet.

"I know. But she smells funny." The dog sighed aloud, stirring a grin from Kakashi.

"Maybe it's her shampoo," Kakashi replied blithely, his eyes still on the girl. She was running her fingers along the wall. Out of the corner of his eye he counted four men keeping an eye on her. "Maybe that Floral Green stuff you use has finally dulled your senses, Pakkun." He punctuated his remark with the crunch of his delicious apple.

Pakkun bristled with offense. "My senses are perfectly fine, you – " He stiffened and sniffed. "Someone's coming," he hissed.

"I know." Kakashi bit the apple again, reveling in its sweetness. Ah, how he loved apples.

Pakkun stared at him, his head tilted to the side. "Aren't you gonna do something?"

"Nope." The gray-haired man absently wiped his mouth, unworried.

Rolling his eyes, Pakkun shook his head slowly, sensing Kakashi knew something and was not telling him.

"You'd better go." Kakashi flicked his fingers at him in a feeble wave, all the while watching as the girl turned the corner, her hidden escorts following suit. "Bye-bye."

Pakkun exhaled tersely and vanished in a puff of smoke. Chewing another chunk of juicy apple, he waited very patiently for the intruder to arrive.

"Hey you!" hissed a voice behind him. "What're you doing wandering 'bout?"

_There you are._

Kakashi waved his apple in the air. Swallowing hard, he threw a sheepish look over his shoulder. "Midnight snack," he explained, apologetically. A single glance told him this guardsman, an inept shinobi at best, was no threat. With a pock-marked visage, beady eyes, and a miniscule stature, he did not make for a very frightening sight.

Of course, that was what he wanted Kakashi to think. Having had more than a single glance, Kakashi gave the man a once-over and deduced that he was dealing with a professional. He counted more than six flat-knives on his body and had no doubt there was skill enough to match that number.

He'd certainly pose an interesting challenge.

The man narrowed his tiny eyes at him. "Yer not supposed to leave yer quarters," he snapped.

Feigning innocence, Kakashi gestured to the hall below, where an audible clang sounded as double-doors slammed shut. "Really? Because it seems like everyone's doing just that."

The man paled and a vein throbbed on his head. Kinda like Haruka too. Goodness, everyone was reminding him of her. With a mental shake of the head, he caught the last half of the man's words.

"You don't have the same privileges as that guest! Get back to your room!" He jabbed his finger in Kakashi's general direction, lips tight. Kakashi took a step back, hands up, silently commending the man's act while processing what he'd just said.

_Priveleges?_

"Okay, okay, I'm going, I'm going..." Stepping around the man, he began walking towards a pair of doors down the corridor. It was a nice corridor too, furnished with a heavily embellished side table and a flashy vase that looked like it cost a pretty penny. Not to mention the crystal light fixtures and heavenly rugs... Kakashi stopped suddenly, scratching the top of his head.

"I forgot how I got here," he said, shamefaced.

The vein leaped. Kakashi swore it did. The man deserved an award, keeping such a great temper in check. Haruka could use a few pointers.

_Shit_.

Glaring daggers at him, the man pointed towards the doors opposite the ones Kakashi had been walking towards.

With a nod of thanks, Kakashi waltzed towards the ostentatious doors, a light skip in his step, apple still in hand. He took a great big bite and chewed loudly, more than certain that the crash he heard was the sound of a shattering vase.

God, he loved apples.

**

* * *

**

"Tachibana-sama?" came a small voice in the doorway.

Haruka almost snickered out loud. She really loved oranges. They were so much better than apples.

Recovering quickly, she threw an incensed look over her shoulder, studying the feeble servant with a shrewd eye. "What is it? Be quick about it!" Cursing silently, Haruka quickly stuffed the mission scroll she'd been reviewing in her kimono and turned to face the girl impatiently.

Though it was fun to be mean, Haruka did feel a little guilty when the girl visibly shrank back. She probably hadn't asked to work in such a rotten place.

Pulling herself together, the girl straightened up. "Himura-dono requests your presence," she responded firmly, her gaze level with Haruka's. Haruka stifled a grin, admiring her backbone.

Still, she couldn't suspend the sudden anxiety she felt. She had no reason to let Kakashi know their mission had her scared shitless.

Masking her fear, Haruka lifted her chin and glided towards the grandiose mirror in the corner of the vast room, double-checking her hair, wound into an elegant knot, and made a show of touching up her make-up. Let the girl think she was a prissy woman who care more about her looks than her job...

Snatching up a pair of dark-rimmed spectacles (Haruka would not let a soul know that they were her real reading glasses), she waved her arm dramatically at the girl.

"Take me to him."

With a nod, the girl led the way, taking Haruka through the house in a great maze of hallways and corridors and staircases. Haruka took note of her surroundings, locking each door into her memory with a sharp eye. They passed through the foyer into a tremendous room with a number of people lounging about in a great variety of intricately carved tables and luscious couches and sitting chairs. Haruka counted nine men who were not the loungers they pretended be.

Though she pretended to ignore them all as she and the servant girl swept through the room, Haruka fixed them all in her mind.

The girl led her to the end of the room where a group of people sat quite comfortably, each garbed more extravagantly then the next. Four men, three women, each watching her with disdain.

"Himura-dono, Tachibana-sama has arrived." A woman with glittering eyes waved the girl off. Haruka hardly spared a glance for the fleeing girl, too occupied with seeking out Tsuyoshi. She struggled to control her pounding heart.

Someone chuckled to her far right, a ways from the haughty group that stared at her.

"Miyako-sama, I don't believe we've ever met..."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Wow. Um. A year. Um. Yeah. *scratches head nervously* I'm so sorry it took me a year. Just, it was a hectic year and I restarted this chapter 6 times at least. The only bit from the original chapter 9 is the opening. Goodness. I am by no means proud of this chapter, but I knew if I ever wanted to finish this story, I had to force my way through the mess that is this chapter.

Oh yeah. Sorry for the half-lemon. I just... couldn't do it. There'll probably more opportunities for that though.

And the whole apple-orange thing, haha... I think Tachibana means ... 'wild orange', 'mandarin orange'? Not sure, but that's why Haruka was giggling like an idiot. :P

Once again, I'm sorry!


End file.
